How Long Have You Been Sitting Here?
by Lily-James4ever26
Summary: Scorpius was looking forward to a calm last year at Hogwarts, but he becomes best friends with the most unlikely girl imaginable. When things were starting to get better, kidnappers and attempted murderers stir things up. Will their friendship survive?
1. A New Year

Chapter 1: A New Year

I walk through the halls of Hogwarts as a shadow. I am unseen and unheard by almost everyone. My invisibility is who I am, and I try hard to keep my personality intact. Most of the time I spend in this castle is pointless. I have no one in this castle that cares about me at all. I have no friends or family here at Hogwarts, and my quiet demeanor and facile intelligence lead the professors to believe that I am arrogant.

There is not, and nor has there ever been, a need for me to pay attention in class. I have read through my textbooks twice and memorized every word they contain before I even step foot onto the train. I stay silent in class, and I only speak or perform spells when called on by my professors. I have gone through the past 6 years at Hogwarts in this manner. This year, my last year, will be no different than the past years. I plan on continuing to walk the halls unnoticed, just like I always have.

At the moment, I am sitting on the train that will take me to Hogwarts. I am staring out the window in my compartment and watching the scenery pass by. The compartment is silent, exactly the way I like it. I pretty much sit by myself because I never bothered to make friends with my peers in past years, and I rather like being by myself. I do not mind being alone because solitude suits me just fine. I prop my feet up on the seat, lean against the wall, and close my eyes so that I can sleep for the rest of the train ride.

I am not surprised in the slightest when about 10 minutes after I close my eyes, the door to my compartment opens abruptly and then slams shut. The person who has just entered my compartment sits down very loudly on the seat on the other side of my compartment. I slowly open my eyes and see a familiar pair of bright blue eyes staring back at me. I smirk at the girl with bushy brown hair who is currently seated in my compartment.

"Is Albus being insufferable, Rose?" I ask with a knowing smirk on my face. She tucks a lock of her wild hair behind her ear while shaking her head and grinning.

"What do you think, Scorpius?" I smile at her comment. "You know he secretly acts the way he does just to annoy me." I silently shake my head.

"Well, go ahead and sit down. Just make sure that-"

"I don't say a word. I got it Scorpius. I've been sitting with you for six years, I know the rules." She tells me seriously. She then puts her feet up on the seat and sits in the same position I was sitting in earlier. She props a book up on her knees and begins to read her book. I lean back against the seat and close my eyes once again.

Rose Weasley has been sitting in a compartment with me since first year. She is the only peron I have allowed to sit with me on the train because she values silence just as much as I do. I am only in her company, voluntarily, twice a year. We have some classes together, but we're not exactly best friends. I can remember the first day she came running into my compartment, looking for a safe haven to hide from her cousins, as if it were yesterday.

Exactly 6 years before…

I found a compartment on the train that was completely empty. I sat down on the seat and let out a content sigh. I had peace and quiet at last. My father had been lecturing me about random, unnecessary things all day. My mum and I just exchanged silent, humorous glances at my father's few hours of insanity. He was telling me all of this stuff about Hogwarts, and I really did not care about it one bit. I just tuned him out for the whole day.

I pulled out a book to read and settled into a more comfortable position on my seat. I did not even realize that I had fallen asleep until I was suddenly awakened by someone yelling.

"Albus Severus Potter! If you ever do anything like that ever again, you better be scared because I know where you sleep!" My door slammed shut and I heard someone mumbling under their breath. I opened my eyes and saw a girl with busy brown hair who looked about my age. She was sitting on the seat opposite me with her eyes closed.

Her hair was sticking up in every possible direction, and she looked as if she had been through some kind of small explosion. I had to stifle my laughter because she looked very comical. I then cleared my throat, trying to break her out of her trance. Her eyes shot open and her blue eyes showed her complete shock and embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to impose on your space. My cousins are just being bloody infuriating at the moment, and I would like to be as far away from them as possible. This is one of those times when I really hate big families and the stupid annoying boys that-"I decided to be nice to someone, just this once.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you just don't talk or make any noise. I would like some peace and quiet. I have a feeling you like your sanity, and that would most likely stay unharmed if you're away from your cousins." I told her relaxing back against the wall. She gave me a bright smile and nodded.

"Thanks a lot! They're just so annoying! I get enough of them at home, and I really don't want to deal with-" I glared at her and she stopped talking immediately. "Not a sound, right, I got it." She sat down on the seat and closed her eyes. She did as I asked her, and she didn't say anything during the whole ride to school. When we were close to the castle, I left to go and change into my robes. She didn't have to change because she was already wearing her robes. I came back to the compartment and she was still in her same spot. When we reached the station, we both began to gather our things.

"Hey, I just realized that I don't know your name." she pointed out.

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy." I told her. Her blue eyes grew wide with surprise, but she gave me a small smile.

"I'm Rose Weasley. It was nice to meet you. I'll see you around Scorpius." She left the compartment to go and join the other first years outside. I left soon after to go and join my fellow first years as well.

During that school year, we did not speak to each other once. We would pass one another in the hallway, but we never acknowledged each other. This never bothered me because, like I said earlier, I like being by myself. We never talked during school, not even a "Hey," as we passed each other in the hallways. Even though we did not talk during school, there was not one year that Rose and I did not sit together on the train.

Back to the present…

I open my eyes and look around the compartment. Rose is fast asleep and her book is resting on her stomach. I laugh loudly because her mouth is hanging open and she is snoring softly. She jerks awake and falls off of the seat. I laugh even harder and she gives me a fake glare. When she sees I noticed that she was faking, she begins to laugh as well.

"You did that on purpose because of what happened in third year! You are an evil little boy Scorpius Malfoy!" she says, her voice shaking with laughter.

"Guilty." I say simply with a smirk on my face. Rose glances down at her watch.

"Bloody Hell! I'm going to be late for the prefect meeting! You are too, come on!" She tells me flinging the door open wide.

"I'm not going." I say plainly.

"Why not?"

"You'll find out." I tell her. She casts me one last confused glance, shrugs, and walks down the hallway towards the prefect's compartment.

As soon as she leaves, I put my hand into my pocket and pull out my badge. It is not my prefect badge; it's my shiny new Head Boy badge.

I received the badge at the beginning of the summer. I really did not want the position, so I decided that I was going to turn it down. My parents were disappointed when I told them what I wanted to do, especially my father, but they said that I should do whatever makes me happy. What makes me happy is having my peace and quiet, and thus having my sanity.

I know that I can handle the responsibility that comes with being Head Boy, but I just don't want it. With responsibility and power comes recognition and popularity; two things that would make my invisibility disappear. I like my privacy, and I just want to continue to be a prefect with minimal power and responsibility. I currently don't even do much work because the girl Slytherin prefect, Ophelia Pierce, is a complete control freak who does all of the work.

I know Rose is going to return soon, and I put the badge back in my pocket. I cannot forget to go and speak to McGonagall before the feast begins so that she can announce the correct Head Boy, who is not me. The door opens again as Rose enters the compartment. She looks absolutely livid.

"You git! You got Head Boy and you didn't even tell me? Why did you skip the meeting? I had to run the whole bloody meeting by myself!" she yells shoving her Head Girl badge in my face.

"I'm declining the position. I'm going to give the badge back to McGonagall as soon as we get back to school." I tell her.

"Why?" she asks. She has this look on her face and it is no secret that she thinks I am crazy.

"It's not who I am. I'm not going to change myself for a shiny badge and the power to boss people around and take house points. I just want a quiet, peaceful, and stress-free last year at Hogwarts. There is just one more year and then I will finally be done with school." I tell her still looking out the window.

"Think about it Scorpius! You get your own dorm, a later curfew, and I promise I will deal with all of the whiny students and professors! Please don't quit. We both know that conceited, pretty-boy Boot from Ravenclaw is next in line, and I can't stand him! He's been chasing after me since fist year! Do it for me, please?" Her blue eyes are silently begging me to say yes.

"Why do you think that I'll be any more tolerable then Boot? You have not said one word to me, nor have you ever spent any time with me outside of this train. It's not like we're friends or anything." I remind her. Her gaze falls to her feet, and I can tell that my comment has made her feel bad.

"I know we haven't exactly been friends, and I'm sorry that I pretty much have denied the fact that you exist at school. It's just that now we have a chance to make up for lost time! Come on Scorpius, I promise you that this year will be an awesome last year if you say yes!" she looks very hopeful. I let out an exasperated sigh, take the Head Boy badge out of my pocket, and pin it on my robes. Her eyes light up and she gives me a huge smile.

"Thank you so much! You have no idea how much I appreciate this, and I know you will thank me in time for making you take this position. You know that you'll never be rid of my now, right?" she says with a grin on her face. "I'm going to be stuck to you with a permanent sticking charm for the rest of the year! Remember, we're making up for six years of lost time!"

"Don't you have other friends?" She shrugs.

"I can visit them in the common room and stuff. Most of them won't be in classes with me anyway. They're mostly just the guys on the Quidditch team, and they're pretty thick-headed. I love 'em, but they won't really care. My best friend is two years younger than me, and I see her at meals and stuff. I think you two will get along, so I'm not really worried about her. I don't hang out with the girls in my dorm anyway; they annoy me, a lot." She tells me. I shake my head.

"So, it'll just be you and me?" I ask.

"Yup." She tells me with a smile on her face.

"I just hope I don't regret it later." I mumble. She laughs and leans back in her seat.

"Trust me, you won't." She assures me with a sly smile on her face and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. I can already tell that this is going to be a long year.

* * *

** A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read! Reviews are appreciated :]**

**This is my first Next-Gen story, and I hope you liked it. I hate to say that updates won't be super regular because I'm busy with school, but I will update as much as I can! **


	2. A Long Day

Chapter 2: A Long Day

Something is patting me on the head. Something is poking me. Something is trying to steal my covers. I open my eyes, and standing over me is Rose with a cheery smile on her face.

"Rise and shine, Scorpius! It's the first day of classes!" she tells me in a sing-song voice.

"Why the bloody hell are you in my dormitory? What time is it?" I ask her groaning.

"It's 6:30, come on, let's go to breakfast."

"Damn McGonagall for giving you my password. Breakfast doesn't even start until seven!" I whine.

"If we go early, we can eat together without everyone getting on our back about eating together. I've always hated that stupid unwritten rule that Slytherins and Gryffindors have to hate each other. Now get up, we're making up for lost time!" I throw back the covers and sit on the edge of my bed. I try to rub the sleep from my eyes and then look at Rose, who is still in my room.

"Aren't you going to leave so that I can change?" I ask her.

"Oh, right! I'll just wait in your common room." She tells me before skipping out of my room. I run to the bathroom and take a quick shower. Then I put on my uniform and robes as fast as I can because I know, for a fact, that Rose is a very impatient person. I brush my teeth and do not even bother to do anything with my hair. I enter my common room and find Rose levitating a quill around the room to keep herself entertained.

"Are you ready?" I ask her.

"Finally! Merlin you take a long time to get ready." She complains.

"It only took me 15 minutes!" I tell her.

"Yeah, well that's too long. Let's go, I'm starving!" She says grabbing my arm and literally dragging me down to the Great Hall. We reach the Great Hall at about seven in the morning. Breakfast ends at 8:45, right before classes start, and 99.9 percent of the Hogwarts population don't even wake up for another half an hour. I knew she had the right idea when she woke me up this early, but I didn't really feel like waking up at the crack of dawn.

We walk into the Hall and the only other people are a few Ravenclaws. They do not even notice us when we enter.

"So, where do we want to sit?" She asks. There is a pause in the conversation.

"I've always wanted to sit at your table." We say simultaneously. We both smile and laugh.

"Why don't we sit at the Slytherin table?" I ask her.

"Sounds good. Let's hurry up so I can eat!" I lead her to the Slytherin table and we both sit down. Rose immediately reaches for the food and begins to load different things on to her plate. I stare at her in shock.

"Bloody Hell! Are you really going to eat all of that?" I ask her. She smiles and swallows the bite of cereal that's in her mouth.

"I most definitely am. I get my appetite from my dad, It's pretty ridiculous how much I can eat. I play Quidditch just like my dad, ergo all the male friends. I can easily eat twice as much as my brother, and I'm pretty much a tomboy." She tells me. I laugh at her because it really is true; I just never noticed it until she pointed it out. She shakes her head and takes another bite of her cereal. I pick up my pumpkin juice and take a sip.

"The funny thing is though, is that my brother completely takes after my mum, but my parents love us both the same. I just wish Hugo would stop acting like a pygmy puff sometimes. He can be such a girl" Before I can help myself, pumpkin juice squirts out of my nose. Rose looks up and sees the pumpkin juice dripping from my nostrils and begins to laugh, which then causes her to choke on her cereal. Ignoring the disgusted looks from the studious Ravenclaws at the table besides us, we both begin to laugh uncontrollably. It takes us a few minutes to get control of ourselves.

"Why was that so funny?" she asks me.

"It just caught me off guard really. You call your brother a pygmy puff and then insult your own gender. That's not something that you hear everyday." I ask, still recovering from her earlier comment.

"Well, it's the truth! Not to put girls down or anything, but you have to admit, they can be annoying. Some parts of my brother's personality remid me of some of the most annoying girls I know, that's all. He doesn't really play any sports, he hardly eats anything, and the only time he isn't studying is when he and Al are planning pranks to annoy me. I think I might have gone completely mental this year if I didn't have a separate dorm."

"I think he is just very studious. That doesn't make him a girl." Rose decides to ignore me and continues to eat her breakfast. I suppress a snort; she is so stubborn.

As I absentmindedly eat my breakfast, I try to process the fact that I am eating breakfast with someone, and that it is Rose Weasley of all people. I really never thought that it would be so nice to have company, and it is actually pretty nice to be having a real conversation with someone. And it is also quite refreshing to have Rose around because she is totally different than me in many ways.

She is loud, bubbly, optimistic, and outgoing while I am somewhat reserved and quiet. She plays Quidditch and I don't, but she is not as thick headed as you would think that most Quidditch players would be. As I am listening to her talk now, I realize that we are probably closer friends than we initially notice. I lied earlier when I said I had not bothered to make any friends. I have one friend and she is sitting right beside me.

"Hello! Mr. Malfoy, is anyone home?" I snap back from my thoughts and see Rose waving a piece of paper in front of my face. "Professor Warren brought our schedules. You should have seen his face when she saw me sitting at this table! Are you even listening to me?" she asks.

"Yeah, sorry. Just spaced out there for a second." I tell her. "So what classes do you have?" She smiles and I become a little concerned.

"I told you, permanent sticking charm." She remarks handing me my timetable and hers as well. I quickly read down the lists.

"We have every class together? How did that happen?" I ask. She shrugs and nibbles her toast. I give her back her schedule and check my watch. "Rose, you and I should probably get out of here because its eight o'clock and everyone else will probably be down here soon." She nods and stuffs the rest of her toast in her mouth. Her cheeks are puffed out and she looks pretty silly.

"Leffs oh." She says as bits of toast fly out of her mouth. I accidentally giggle and cause Rose to seize her napkin so that she doesn't spit toast all over me.

"You, you giggled!" she choked out in between laughs. For the second time that morning, both of us were overcome with laughter. I am pretty sure that this is the most that I have ever laughed in my life.

"Rose Ginerva Weasley, what in the bloody name of Merlin are you doing?" an outraged voice calls out from behind us. We turn around to see Rose's cousin Albus making his way over to us from the Gryffindor table. Out of the blue, Rose starts laughing again and I give her an inquisitive glance. She turns to Albus with an enormous smile on her face.

"Relax Al. Your impression of a tomato is getting kind of old." She jokes because his face is very red. It is a pretty stupid joke, but I think she said it just to annoy Albus.

"You didn't answer my question. What. Are. You. Doing." He yells, and Rose just rolls her eyes.

"I'm eating breakfast with the Head Boy. What are you going to do, hex me?" she taunts.

"If it will knock some sense into you! He's a Slytherin!"

"Oh sod off Albus! You obviously haven't listened to anything Uncle Harry has told you! There is nothing wrong with Slytherins! You almost were a Slytherin! For the love of Merlin you have the middle name of a Slytherin! Get off your damned high horse and look around! Nobody else cares that I'm over here except for you! Come find me when you've deflated your fat head and get over your petty rivalries!" she shouts at Albus. "Let's go Scorpius." She grabs her bag and I pick up mine, and we exit the Great Hall together leaving a very livid Potter behind.

"That was amazing." I say flashing her a smile. She just shakes her head.

"He's just so infuriating! He thinks he has some power over me just because I'm his little cousin Rosie. Next time he tries to tell me what to do I'm going to hit a bludger at his big, fat head." Her fists are clenched and I can tell that she is royally pissed off. She takes a deep breath and asks, "So what class do we have first?" I open up my timetable.

"We have Herbology first."

"Thank God!" she sighs. "Let's go early. I haven't been to see Uncle Ne- I mean Professor Longbottom yet." She corrects herself at the last second, but I notice her little slip of the tongue.

"You're related to Professor Longbottom?" I ask. She shakes her head.

"No I'm not. I've just known him pretty much since I was born. My cousins and I just call him Uncle Nev because he's a really good friend of the family, and he's just like an Uncle to all of us." She tells me as we reach the green houses. We push open the door and see Professor Longbottom at his desk in the back corner of the green house. "Uncle Nev!" she calls out. Professor Longbottom raises his head and smiles. When he looks over at me he gets a confused look on his face, but then he stands up and makes his way over to us.

"Miss Weasley, Mr. Malfoy. What can I do for you two?" he asks in a very non personal way.

"Oh cut the act Uncle Nev, Scorpius is my friend. You don't have to pretend like you don't know me outside of school." Rose tells him. Professor Longbottom looks questioningly at Rose but then slowly he smiles.

"So since when have you guys been friends?" Professor Longbottom asks. Rose and I exchange a glance and grin.

"About 6 years." We reply together.

"Oh really? Then why am I just hearing about this Rosie?"

"We were in denial, but we both stopped being thick headed this year and decided to acknowledge the obvious." She says shrugging. I shake my head and Professor Longbottom laughs.

Professor Longbottom, Rose, and I continue to talk for about 20 minutes. During this time I realize how much I actually like Professor Longbottom compared to some of my other teachers. Some of them just really get on my nerves, but Professor Longbottom seems to be a really likeable person. I think I just might try to pay a little more attention in his class from now on.

"Hey, dad, are you in here?" a sweet voice calls out from the door of the green house.

"Come on in Kayleigh. I'm here, and so is someone else!" Professor Longbottom says. I turn around to see who it is that is coming inside. I cannot believe what I am seeing. The most beautiful girl I have ever seen has walked into the room. I think I hear angels singing somewhere in the background, though it's probably just in my head. Kayleigh has wavy blonde hair that goes just past her shoulders and warm chocolate brown eyes that I could get lost in. I shake my head and snap back to reality.

Rose and Kayleigh both squeal with happiness when they see each other. They both seize the other and hug. Professor Longbottom and I both smile and laugh at the girls.

"So what did you need Kayleigh?" he asks. She glances at me nervously and turns back to her father.

"Um, did mum happen to give you my _Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five_? I can't find it anywhere." She tells her father. He nods.

"Yeah, she gave it to me when we left the house. Come back to my office with me I'll get it for you." The two Longbottoms leave and Rose turned and looked at me with a smirk on her face.

"You so like Kayleigh." She tells me. "Don't even try to deny it. I saw that goofy grin on your face when she walked into the room." I blush involuntarily and look down. Rose laughs and pats me on the back. "We'll have to do something about this, won't we."

"No!" I object. Rose laughs again and the bell rings for classes. We sit down and I let my head hit the desk with a thud. My sentiments that this year is going to be very interesting are starting to come true, and a lot sooner than I expected. As a blonde-haired brown-eyed beauty dances through my mind, I get this feeling that today is going to be a very long day.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for the long wait, but my computer is slowly on the mend. Thanks for sticking with me, and don't forget to review :]**


	3. To Judge or not to Judge?

Chapter 3: To Judge, or not to Judge?

Things seem to have gone back to normal by the end of the first day of school; or at least what I thought was normal before the start of this year. It is dinner time, and, like always, I am sitting at the end of the Slytherin table with the first years. The thing is, I am not even paying attention to the fish and chips on my plate. A big commotion seems to be brewing over at the Gryffindor table, and I am one hundred percent sure it has to do with me.

Rose walked into the Great Hall this evening and flashed me a smile from the doors before going over to sit with her Quidditch buddies at the Gryffindor table. Of course, she and her cousin Albus have the same friends, so they were both in close proximity with the other. Having seen their fights many times before on the train, I knew it was a very bad idea for them to be within ten feet of each other after that argument they had this morning.

I mindlessly eat the chips while keeping my eyes locked on the Gryffindor table. Rose's face keeps getting redder and redder at something Albus is saying, though I can't hear what they are talking about. That stupid git Albus keeps glaring at her while talking to their friends, and I can tell she is going to retaliate any second now.

"Damn it, Albus Severus! Just shut the hell up!" Rose says banging her hand on the table before stalking out of the Great Hall. I notice that the teachers all have looks of shock on their faces, along with the entire student body. This stunned silence lasts for a few moments before the chatter starts back up. I take this as my cue to go and find Rose. No one is going to notice I'm gone anyway.

I decide to go up to Rose's dorm to see if she is there because she wasn't standing in the Entrance Hall. I sprint as fast as I can up to Gryffindor Tower and find her sitting on the ground cradling her fist. I walk over and kneel down next to her.

"Mind telling me what the deal is?" I ask when she lifts her eyes to look at me. The fire in her eyes startles me; she is absolutely furious. "What did you do to your hand? Did you punch a wall or something?" I am just kidding around, but she gives me a small grin.

"Are you crazy?!" I pick her hand up and examine her bloody knuckles.

"Oh, don't get soft on me now Malfoy. It's a good way to relieve tension. Would you rather me punch a wall or rip Albus's head off?" I raise my eyebrows questioningly. "Okay, that was a stupid question. I would have liked to rearrange his face as well, but my mum would throttle me if she found out I was fighting in school."

"Come on, Weasley. Let's go get your hand checked out. You can tell me what Albus said that made you turn into a tomato." She scowls at me and pushes up from the ground with her good hand. I know not to try and help her up because she will skin me alive if I even try to assist; she's very independent.

As we begin to make our way downstairs, we find Kayleigh standing, unmoving on the stairs. Rose begins to laugh and I stare at her curiously. "She forgot the trick step, she's stuck!" she manages to choke out, and I smile.

"Well don't just stand there and laugh you prats! Come help me. It's not my fault I got stuck with my dad's lack of memory." Rose smirks and nudges me forward with her non-injured hand. I walk over to Kayleigh, holding my breath as I reach to take her arm and pull her out of the trick step. I can almost feel Rose grinning behind my back, but I ignore it.

When I take her arm, Kayleigh looks at me warily, but I flash her a reassuring smile. Little does she know I am trying to comfort myself as well. She relaxes a bit, and holds on to my arm tight as I lift her up. "Thanks." She says smiling at me brightly. She glances down and I notice I still have her arm. I let her go and Rose laughs from behind us. We both glare at her.

"What happened this time?" Kayleigh asks turning toward me.

"I don't know what Albus did yet, but she punched a wall." Kayleigh sees her hand and sighs loudly; Rose flinches.

"Not again! When are you going to stop doing this you git? One day Madam Pomfrey is going to refuse to fix you up."

"She's done this before?" I ask. Kayleigh nods.

"All the bloody time. It's ridiculous." The blonde Hufflepuff makes her way over to Rose and grabs her fist, causing Rose to wince. "Well, we might as well go to the hospital wing." I nod in agreement, and go to stand on Rose's left side while Kayleigh is on her right.

"I think now would be the time to fill us in on what happened at dinner." I say while locking eyes with Kayleigh for a moment as she nods in agreement. Rose scowls and looks down at her obviously broken hand.

"He was being a bigger prat than usual. We were sitting with the usual crowd, nothing out of the norm was happening really. Then, out of no where, he starts talking crap about you, Scorpius. It was ridiculous. Talking about how you were a sissy and a poof. Then he kept going on about how you were a bastard, 'but what else can we expect of a Malfoy?' I just wanted to smash his bloody face in." She reveals as I try to suppress a grin.

"I appreciate you wanting to defend my honor and all, but please do the same thing in the future and restrain from actually fighting back in public. It will only make things worse. Trust me; I am used to people judging me before they get to know me. It's nothing new" Rose pats me on the back with her good hand while I try to sneak a glance at Kayleigh. For some reason, her cheeks are bright red. I think Rose notices as well because she smirks and looks over at Kayleigh.

"Dearest friend, what ever is your problem? You seem to be blushing quite a bright shade of red." Kayleigh blushes brighter, and Rose's smirk widens as I stare between the two. I have no clue what they are talking about so cryptically.

"What am I missing here? Will anyone care to fill me in?" Rose laughs and Kayleigh stares at the ground.

"Our dear Kay here is just embarrassed by the fact that she lectured me for a whole hour last night about how bad of an idea it was for me to be friends with you." I feel a tug in the center of my chest; that stung me a little.

"Rose!" Kayleigh hisses; she is obviously embarrassed by Rose's revelation. She looks at me apologetically, and I wink kindly to relieve her discomfort. She smiles and blushes as we reach the infirmary. Rose struts right into the infirmary as if she owned the place.

"I'll go get Madam Pomfrey." Kayleigh says quickly making her way over to the nurse's office. Rose plops herself down onto one of the hospital bed and reclines back against the pillows with her good hand behind her head and the other one is cradled against her stomach.

"You look comfortable." I state nonchalantly. She flashes me another of her snarky grins.

"Good old Poppy won't mind. She's just going to make me sit anyway. I like to save her the trouble." I shake my head as Kay enters the room with Madam Pomfrey trailing behind her. "Poppy dearest! I've had a bit of trouble involving another wall. Care to help me out?" Rose says motioning to her broken hand. Madam Pomfrey does not look amused, but she ignores Rose and takes out her wand to check over Rose's injury. After a few minutes, she steps away from Rose with a frown on her face.

"Miss Weasley, I am going to have to keep you over night." Rose's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"What! Why?" She splutters out is disbelief. Kay snickers and I have to suppress a smile at her reaction.

"Even though I fix you up each and every time you mess up your hand- be it breaks, minor fractures, or just bruising- your bones grow weaker each time. Magic can only do so much. I don't think you can feel it with your high tolerance for pain, but you have shattered a number of the bones in your hand. I think it will be better for you if we just do away with the shattered bones and have you grow some new ones. That means you have to stay over night so that I can make sure we re-grow your bones properly." Rose's mouth is agape, and she is speechless. "I'll be right back. I have to go fetch the Skele-Grow." She walks away and I swear I hear her mumbling about injuries on the first day of classes.

As soon as Madam Pomfrey is out of hearing distance, Kayleigh and I burst into laughter at the scowl on Rose's face. "I knew all of this anger was going to turn around and bite you in the arse one day!" Kayleigh says laughing and I smile; her laughter is beautiful, almost like music to my ears. I quickly snap out of my Kayleigh-induced trance to find the two girls staring at me.

"Sorry. My mind wandered a bit." Kayleigh looks a little nervous, and Rose shakes her head as Madam Pomfrey comes back into the room with a glass containing clear liquid. She hands the cup to Rose before taking out her wand. She performs a spell over Rose's broken hand and it falls limp. Rose places the glass on the table before bending back each of her fingers and touching them to her wrist.

"Oh, that is sick!" Kayleigh whispers stepping away from the bed.

"Oh, this is so cool! I remember Uncle Harry talking about getting his bones removed. This is so cool!" She keeps twisting her fingers in odd directions as Kay continues to cringe at her display. Madam Pomfrey stands by calmly as Rose stares in awe at her hand.

"Drink up, Miss Weasley; you are in for a rough night. And please don't spit out the Skele-Grow, just suck it up and drink it." I have never heard Madam Pomfrey be so blunt with a student and she is normally very kind and gentle, but I guess she makes and exception where Rose is concerned. Rose nods and downs the fowl drink in one gulp. He face scrunches up at the bad taste and she collapses back against the pillows.

"All right you two. I think it's time to head back to your common rooms. It's getting close to curfew, and we wouldn't want you to get a detention. You can come by and see Miss Weasley before breakfast tomorrow morning. She won't be so calm in about an hour." She ushers us out of the doors as we wave to Rose. The doors shut loudly behind us, and then the awkward silence settles in. There is no way for us to escape by going our separate ways because the Hufflepuff and Slytherin common rooms are in the exact same area of the castle.

"So, um, I guess I'll walk you to your common room, if that's okay. It's right on my way." I say, mentally slapping myself. That was really quite ridiculous of me; we were going the same way anyway.

"Yeah, thanks." She replies timidly before the silence covers us again. As we approach the first floor, she suddenly stops walking.

"What's the matter." I ask. She turns to me slowly.

"I'm really sorry about what I said to Rose about you. I know it wasn't right to judge you, but I just grew up with… I mean. I just had all of these preconceived notions about you. And I really want the best for Rose. Not that you aren't good for her I just didn't see…" I place my finger to her lips, causing her to blush furiously.

"Don't worry about it, I understand. I'm used to all of the things that people say and think about Malfoys. Just give me a chance to prove all of the people like Albus wrong, and we'll call it even." She took my hand and carefully moves my finger from her lips.

"Deal."

We continue to walk down toward our common rooms, but the silence is no longer awkward; it's fairly comfortable. I discreetly watch her as her eyes travel to all of the paintings and her feet move on their own accord. It is brilliant how she seems to be able to navigate the castle without even thinking about it. I am so caught up with watching her that I don't notice that we have stopped in front of the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. She clears her throat loudly and raises one of her blonde eyebrows at me.

"You seem to be drifting off an awful lot tonight." She points out.

"Yeah, sorry. I just have a lot on my mind. So, if it's okay with you, I'll meet you here tomorrow morning before breakfast so that we can go and see Rose. Does that sound good?" She smiles and nods.

"That sounds great. I'll meet you out here at about 6:30." I smile and nod, just like she did a few seconds ago, even though I don't want to get up that early.

"Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Scorpius." She says before whispering the password too lowly for me to hear and disappearing behind the portrait.

I slowly make my way down the hallway with a slight skip in my step, still marvelling over how different my school year has started off. I can't help but be excited about the fact that it was only the end of the first day, and I have many more to come.

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**A/N: Chapters normally won't come this quick, but I feel the need to make up for making you wait a month... so, surprise!**


	4. Fun Confrontations?

Chapter 4: Fun Confrontations?

I wake up at 6 o'clock for the second morning in a row. I have never done that before in my life. It will normally take me a day to recover if I get up early on any given morning. Strangely, this morning, I am not even tired. I think it's probably because I know I am going to see Kayleigh in a matter of minutes.

I don't know why this girl has the effect on me that she does. I used to think that love at first sight was a load of rubbish, but now I'm not so sure. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that, until recently, I was more concerned about leaving Hogwarts than what was going on in the here and now. I didn't bother to notice or think about anyone but myself. Maybe my solitude was more like self-centeredness. Well, I don't know. I am going to think about it later. Right now, I have to go find Kayleigh and go and visit Rose.

I throw on my school robes after brushing my teeth and taking a shower before rushing out the door. I stop in the kitchens prior to heading for the Hufflepuff portrait so that I can grab Kayleigh and Rose some breakfast. The house elves are more than generous, and I set off to find Kayleigh with toast and bagels, 3 different types of jam, and a huge flask filled with pumpkin juice; Rose is lucky I'm such a bloody nice person.

Kayleigh is standing outside of the portrait when I walk up, and I see a slight smile appear on her face when she sees me. There is hope!

"Good morning." I say smiling at her. She smiles back, somewhat mischievously.

"You wouldn't be smiling if you knew what Rose is like after sleeping in the hospital wing over night." The smile falls from my face and she laughs.

"Is she even more insufferable than usual?" I ask warily.

"That is an understatement. She is a cranky wench when she stays the night in the hospital wing, trust me. Food was a good idea, though. She is more agreeable with food. She may take mercy on us if we have a peace offering." I laugh, a little unsure of what is awaiting me in the hospital wing. "Well, come on. We mustn't keep the beast waiting." I nod in agreement and follow her down the corridor.

We enter the hospital wing slowly, trying not to make any sudden movements; Kayleigh says it is the safest thing to do. She also says to stay calm because Rose can smell fear. I snort at this; she's making Rose sound like some kind of animal. The door creaks a little as we enter, and then it starts.

"Whoever the bloody hell is out there better make themselves known or shut the bloody hell up!" I stifle a laugh and Kayleigh gives me a look that says 'I told you so!'

We both enter, and I hold the food out in front of me. "We come in peace with toast, jam, and pumpkin juice!" I peek my head inside of the door to see Rose sit up in her bed.

"Well, why didn't you say so! Bring it here. Let's get our grub on!" Kayleigh follows close behind me as we enter, leaving me in the line of fire, just in case she decides to blow up again. Rose looks calm enough, so I bring the food over to her bed. Her eyes light up at the sight of the parcel in my hand. I hand her some of the toast and jam, making sure to hide some of it for Kayleigh and me.

She eagerly takes about four pieces of toast and covers them with strawberry jam. I turn to give Kayleigh something to eat, and she smiles at me in appreciation. I return her smile before turning back to Rose's bed. "Where did all of the toast go? Didn't you just have four pieces?"

"Yeah, but then I ate them. That's what you're supposed to do. I thought that you brought me toast so I could eat it!" She looks at me questioningly.

"She inhales food. Honestly, I thought you would have known that by now. I don't even think she chews it. If I had to bet on anyway that Rose would die an untimely death, I think it would be from choking." Rose glares at Kayleigh while I laugh.

"Okay, alright, I admit it. I eat like a pig. But, don't forget that I didn't even get to eat much before Albus started being a git! So I haven't eaten any decent food since last night, thank you very much."

We joke around a bit until Madam Pomfrey comes back into the hospital wing at about 7 o'clock. She checks over Rose's hand with a quick spell to make sure that all of her bones have re-grown properly. After a few more quick tests and a pain potion, Madam Pomfrey gives Rose the okay to leave. I have never seen anyone look more relieved in my entire life. Kayleigh and I sit outside of the wing while we are waiting for Rose to change back into her normal robes when we hear footsteps coming down the corridor.

I turn to Kayleigh with a quizzical look on my face, and she just sends me her own confused looks in return. Albus is making his way down the corridor towards the hospital wing and he looks determined and somewhat furious. He walks right by us, without even a passing glance, and storms through the doors into the hospital wing. I glance over at Kayleigh before rushing out of my seat and standing next to the door so that I can hear what's going on. When the yelling starts, I realize that being so close to the door really is not necessary.

"What are you doing here?! Was my yelling 'shut the hell up' and storming out of the Great Hall not a huge hint that I don't feel like being anywhere near you!?" Rose yells. He better have a damn good excuse, or else she is liable to bite his head off before he can even get a word in edgewise.

"I heard you were in the hospital so I came by to see where you were. Thanks for telling me by the way." Uh oh, that is a bad idea.

"You lost all right to know about what happens to me when you started insulting and belittling my friends in front of me! It's one thing to gossip behind my back, but a whole other thing to say it in front of my face! It's only the second day of school and I already can't stand you. Why don't you just mind your own business?"

"I don't have any right? I'm your bloody cousin! I have every right. Not to mention that Uncle Ron would kill me if I let anything happen to you."

"I don't need you to take care of me! I am perfectly able to take care of myself. And, if in the future I ever do need help, I certainly won't be asking you, you big git. That's what I have Kay, and now Scorpius, for. So back the hell off and leave me alone."

I take Kayleigh's arm and pull her away from the door; I have a feeling that Rose will be storming through it in about one-point-five seconds. My head is reeling a little bit from the fact that I ended up in that last part of the conversation because I did not know that Rose trusted me so much.

When Rose slams open the doors and starts down the corridor, Kayleigh and I follow close behind her. I can hear her mumbling things under her breath as she makes her way toward the seventh floor.

"Where are we going?" I ask Kayleigh.

"Probably the Room of Requirement. We can't all go into the Gryffindor common room, and I know Rose doesn't feel like going into the Great Hall, so that's the next best place for us all to go." I nod as we continue on our way up the flights of stairs.

When we reach the seventh floor corridor that contains the Room of Requirement, Kayleigh and I stand back as we wait for the door to appear on the wall. When the door appears and Rose runs inside, we approach cautiously; I hope she doesn't start punching walls again. She just got out of the hospital.

We both enter the room and freeze at the sight before us. Rose is sitting on a sofa in front of a large fire, her head in her hands. I swear I hear what sounds like crying, but that's impossible. Rose never cries. Kayleigh immediately rushes over to Rose and kneels down in front of her. He shoulders are shaking, and I have to admit, I am a little worried. I walk over to the two girls and stand a few feet behind Kay.

"Why is he such a prat? He was supposed to be one of my best friends. I don't get it. I really don't get it. I just want to punch a bloody wall! I can't stand him. He is so thick headed. He never listens to anything I say. I'm just so confused!" As Rose gets angrier, she begins to cry harder and Kayleigh sits next to her on the couch holding her hand. I don't really like to be around crying girls; they make me uncomfortable.

"Did you ever think that he was jealous?" I hear Kayleigh ask. Rose's head pops up.

"Of Scorpius? Why? Is he really that absurd?" Rose is gaining back her composure.

"He's a boy. I wouldn't put it past him to be jealous that you have a new best friend that isn't him."

"Oh for the love of Merlin! Boys are so ridiculous! Everything is a damn contest!" She slams her fist down on the couch, making Kayleigh and I flinch. "I hate them, I hate them all. They are so stupid and immature and foolish." I cough.

"Um, boy standing right here."

"You don't count. You have half a brain and enough common sense that you know how to not be a bloody idiot." I smile warily.

"Thanks?" Kayleigh laughs and I feel happiness swell in my chest. Have I got it bad, or what?

I look down and check my watch, only to notice that classes start in about fifteen minutes. I am in no mood to go to class, and I know that the girls are not either.

"How much trouble do you think we would get in if we skipped classes today?" I ask the girls. I am not expecting the response I receive.

"Skip classes! Are you insane? McGonagall would skin us alive! Not to mention how much N.E.W.T reviewing we would miss! I'm already going to have that woman on my arse for that stunt I pulled yesterday at dinner. Why would we poke an irritated dragon by skipping classes? I thought I was the one who had taken tons of potions recently, not you. What has addled your brains so much?" Rose shrieks louder than anyone I have ever known.

I have honestly not pegged her as the resident Hogwarts nerd. I can't really say anything bad about nerds because I technically am one. But Rose? I never even considered her as being very intellectual. Then again, she didn't exactly get the Head Girl job for her spotless behavioral record. I know she has gotten into a lot of trouble over the years.

"I'm sorry I even mentioned it." I say, raising my hands in surrender. "We only have about ten minutes before Rose and I have potions, and Kayleigh has?" I stop, looking to Kayleigh to finish my sentence.

"Transfiguration." She finishes for me, her lips in a hard line.

"Not your favorite class?" She shakes her head.

"Well, I happen to like my first class. I will not let Albus's huge, inflated ego to get in the way of my school work. I always say schoolwork first, personal problems second."

"You do?" Kayleigh and I ask at the same time.

"Yes I do! Now let's move!" Rose is back to her shrieking. Side notes: do not get on Rose's bad side after she gets out of the hospital, do not mention Albus Potter, NEVER suggest anything that will get in the way of school.

Kayleigh and I part from Rose to head to our common rooms, seeing as we are on completely opposite ends of the castle. The two of us are practically running in order to get our things before the first bell. We wave to each other before she heads into the Hufflepuff common room and I race down to the dungeons. I gather my books an toss them into my bags before running out of the common room, not thinking about anything but getting to class on time.

As I am rushing down the corridor on my way to potions, I am unexpectedly knocked down by an unknown force. "Bloody Hell!" I hear someone whisper under their breath. I am pretty sure it's Rose.

"Rose, if that's you I think I'm going to die of laughter." I hear silence before the hysterical giggles start. "Are you okay?" Then the giggles spout into full on laughter, and I can't help but laugh along with her.

"We-are-one-ri-dic-u-lous-MESS!" Rose manages to say amidst her laughter.

I distantly hear the bell ring, but my sides are aching so much I can barely move. I think that a combination of sleep deprivation and the extreme amount of uncharacteristic emotions I have been experiencing lately are affecting my brain. Maybe Rose is right about there being something wrong with me. I laugh more, even though it hurts. I feel the goofy grin on my face as I hear Rose's laughter subsiding along with mine.

I did not even hear the footsteps echoing off of the walls of the empty dungeon corridors.

"Perhaps the two Heads would like to explain to the Headmistress why they are laying in the middle of corridors instead of attending their classes?"

I feel a shiver run down my spine, and I sit up slowly; I hear paper rustling as Rose does the same beside me. Our very surly Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, and my Head of House, Professor Warren, is staring down at us with a look of curiosity and astonishment plastered across his face.

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**A/N: Hey everyone! I hope that you're enjoying the story. I haven't been getting very many reviews, and I would really appreciate some feedback so that I can hear what my readers think about the story. So Please review!! It only take about 5 seconds :]**


	5. Trouble

Chapter 5: Trouble

After getting caught in the hallway by Professor Warren, Rose and I were sentenced to serve a detention. A bloody detention. I used to be able to say I had never gotten a detention. Now I can't. It is so ridiculous. I don't even have some cool explanation for my first detention. I have the lame excuse of being late for class.

So now here we are, the first Friday night at school, fixing and arranging the student potions cabinet. It is the most boring and monotonous job ever created by Merlin. We have to unload all of the ingredients, and then put them back on the shelves. It's so bloody hilarious because the cabinet is already meticulously arranged, so our job is pointless. Lucky us that Warren in more neurotic than my grand mum.

"Stop looking like someone dropped your pygmy puff off a broom. We're lucky nothing worse happened. He didn't even tell McGonagall. That's a blessing from Merlin himself. She would have lectured our ears off." Rose takes the precious jar of bezoars off of the shelves as she speaks.

"I've never had a detention though. I would have rather gotten it for doing something more notable than being late for class." Rose snorts.

"Mr. Goody Two-Shoes himself wants to get a detention?" She scoffs and continues taking jars from their places. I glare at her for calling me a goody two-shoes.

"I just meant that this is such an unfounded detention. We weren't even doing anything. I mean, if they caught us snogging in some dark corner during classes or sneaking around after curfew that would be a whole other story." Rose bursts into laughter. "What's so funny?"

"You… me… snogging… CORNER!" She falls to the floor in a fit of laughter. I can't help but smile as well; that did sound really stupid. Her laughter subsides and she sits up on the ground. "You and I both know the only person you would like to snog is dark corners is Kayleigh, and I would settle for no less than Oliver Wood himself." I groan as Rose floats off into her daydream about her favorite eye candy.

"Well at least Kayleigh isn't old enough to be my father." Rose gasps.

"You admit it! You want to snog Kay!" Oh, damnit! I did not mean for her to catch that. How did she always turn the conversation from being about her to being about me? I despise her stupid deflection skills.

"Fine! I like her a bit, okay?" Rose grins and skips around the table joyfully. "Stop the happy skipping! It's making me dizzy and nauseous."

"Stop being so cynical. Little Scorpy is in loooove with Kayleigh!" She continues skipping and singing; I get angrier and angrier.

"Stop the singing and skipping." I ask with clenched teeth.

"Make me, little Scorpy." She runs across the large classroom, and, in a fit of rage, I chase her. In my haste, I accidently knock one of the tables, causing an empty jar to crash and break on the floor. The sound reverberating through the dungeon makes us both freeze. I catch Rose's panicked gaze. I quickly _Reparo _the jar and set it on the table. We are both silent for a moment before Rose thumps me on the arm.

"Stupid, prat! What if Warren had heard us?"

"It's not my fault! You need to learn how to shut your mouth and not be so annoying for once. One day you're going to push someone's buttons too much and they'll _Avada _your arse!" My yells echo through the room, but they are soon mixed with other voices.

"Bugger! Maybe someone did hear us." Rose exclaims. We both head to the door to listen and see who it is.

"_Dmitri, you wouldn't know who could be doing this, do you?" _A voice that sounded like the Headmistress asks.

"_I honestly don't know. It could be anyone. It's not the Death Eaters, Harry made sure of that years ago. It could be any number of people. There are still many after him." _Professor Warren answered.

"_I'm still trying to understand why the Weasleys and my family are involved in this. Why any of us are involved in this. I thought this was over long ago." _Rose gasps at the mention of her family's name from Professor Longbottom.

"_Everyone is safe now, that's all that matters. We mustn't let word of this get out. It could be detrimental to keeping all of you safe. For now, we will just keep an eye out." _Professor McGonagall said.

"_I cannot believe this…" _Professor Longbottom sighs. The voices fade away, and I kneel next to Rose on the ground.

"Stand up, you're fine, come on." She slowly stands and I pull her into a hug. Her breathing continues to come in shallow gasps, and I am worried. "Rose, are you okay?"

She doesn't respond and I loosen my hold on her to get a good look at her face. Her eyes are clenched shut and her skin is clammy. She sways slightly in my loose hold before she falls limp in my arms. She just fainted! I hear a voice in my head that sounds remarkably like Rose. It's like she's my superego, weird. _Way to state the obvious, git. So what are you going to do about the unconscious girl you are currently holding? _

"Rose, wake up!" I shake her slightly before I begin to panic. I take my wand from my pocket. _Ennervate!_ She draws a long breath and her blue eyes look wildly about the room. "Calm down, take deep breaths." She slowly regains composure, and I don't waste any time trying to find out what was wrong with her.

"I think now would be the time to tell me why you got so worked up about that? It's not like you're in any immediate danger, and we don't even know what's going on! I think your parents would have let you know if anything bad was going on. Now spill your guts, Weasley." I tell her seriously. She moves from my arms, but keeps one of my hands in her grip; I have never seen her so scared in my life.

"I just saw bad things happening as soon as I heard the word Death Eaters. My imagination gets overactive, and it just builds on things I've seen that I shouldn't have." She looks at the floor.

"Like what?" I ask, causing her to sigh loudly.

"Albus, James, and I snuck into Uncle Harry's office when we were about 10. It was always off limits, and we got curious. James had the bright idea of checking out the cool bowl of shiny stuff. We had stumbled into Uncle Harry's pensieve. We got stuck in it for about an hour because we didn't know how to get out. Some of the things I saw," she shivered, "I wish I just had not gone with my stupid cousins. I had nightmares for about three years. That conversation just made all of those things pop back up, and I freaked out." I don't know what to say. I just squeeze her hand and we stand up.

"Do you want me to go and get Kay to spend the night with you?" She nods.

"I think that's a really great idea." She seems a bit better, but her skin is still as pale as a sheet of parchment. We walk up to her common room and I drop her off before going to fetch Kayleigh from the Hufflepuff common room. I give the portrait the password, all though the majority of Hufflepuffs give me dirty looks. I hate house prejudices.

I walk into the common room, hoping she is in there so I don't have to go and search for her. I immediately spot her unmistakable blonde hair; she has it in pigtails. It is odd, but she looks absolutely adorable. I stand up behind her, and I cannot help myself; I gently tug on her pigtails, causing her to yelp.

"Who the bloody hell," she looks up in agitation at my grinning face and then laughs. "You are so juvenile. I thought I was the youngest here? Why are you resulting to pulling my hair? My ears work perfectly fine, Malfoy."

"I know. I just couldn't resist." I let go of her hair and the strands of silk slip through my fingers. It feels so soft.

"So why are you stalking me in my common room and pulling my hair?" I inwardly smack myself. How can I have forgotten Rose? I knew why; Kayleigh makes my every thought disappear with just one glace. I need to pull myself together.

"I was wondering if you could stay with Rose tonight. She's having a rough time. She will explain when we get up there, if you don't already know." Kay jumps up out of her armchair.

"You should've said that first!" She smacks me in the arm and then runs up the girls' staircase. She hits pretty hard. Before I can even rub my arm, she comes barreling down the stairs with a bag in her arms. "Let's move, Malfoy!" The few people in the common room clear out of our way as she grabs my arm and drags me through the portrait hole.

She keeps a hold on my arm as we run through the halls toward Rose's dormitory. Kayleigh must know what's going on, even though I didn't tell her, because she is so urgent to get to Rose. We reach the portrait and Kayleigh nearly screams the password. I don't make any comments. I probably would have done the same thing in her position.

We both make our way into Rose's room; she's not in the common room. Slowly opening her door, we see her curled up on her bed hugging a pillow to her chest. Kay drops her bag to the ground and rushes over to Rose, enveloping the other girl in her arms. They exchange a few words. I see Rose nod sadly and Kayleigh hold her tighter. I just stand awkwardly by the door.

"Scorpy, get over here. Stop being such an awkward kneazle." Rose calls softly from the bed, but the humor is evident in her tone. I slowly go over and sit on the bed. She grabs my hand, as has become her bad habit, and I look at our clasped hands for a moment. She notices.

"Does this bother you?" she says holding up our hands. "I'm feeling all touchy-feely lately. It's weird. It'll pass eventually. And you know I only have eyes for one man, and his name is NOT Scorpius Malfoy." I laughed, as did Kayleigh. Kay sounds a bit relieved, or so I hope.

"Yeah, and you know the man of your dreams would be a cradle-robbing weirdo to date you, right?" Kayleigh says. Rose scowls and falls back into her pillows.

"Whatever. He's still the hottest man alive. I don't care if he's nearly 40." Rose yawns, and Kay flips into mum mode.

"You need to go to sleep. You know you're less likely to get nightmares if you get more sleep. I'm taking any precautions so that I don't get injured when you start thrashing around tonight in your sleep." My eyes grew wide.

"What?"

"Yeah. Whenever she gets nightmares, which is every once in a blue moon nowadays, it's better if she goes to sleep early and doesn't sleep alone." I nod; that makes a lot of sense. Rose and Kayleigh snuggle under the sheets and I move to leave.

"Where do you think you're going stud? You get to join in this sleepover, too. You didn't think we were going to leave you out of this love fest did you?" I turn around and catch Rose smiling up at me.

"Besides, if I have to wake up with bruises tomorrow, so do you. It's your duty as a best friend." Kayleigh adds. I chuckle and take off my shoes, my belt, and my robes before moving over to the bed. I lie next to Rose, who is in the middle, and stare at the ceiling for a moment before the awkwardness disappears.

"Goodnight, guys. I don't know what I would do without you." Rose grabs my hand and closes her eyes. I look over Rose and meet eyes with Kayleigh. _Goodnight,_ I mouth to her. She smiles and replies, _Goodnight._ I lay back and close my eyes, drifting into what I hope will be a good night's sleep.

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**Reviews make my world go round! And they make me more inclined to update. *hint hint* **


	6. Little Brothers

Chapter 6: Little Brothers

At about two in the morning, the thrashing begins. I jerk awake when something hits me in the stomach and knocks the wind out of me. I bolt upright and notice Rose twisting restlessly in the sheets. A fist comes flying toward my face and I jump out of the bed. "Bloody hell!" There happens to be another body on the floor that I inadvertently step on.

"Kay, what are you doing?" I hiss. She rubs her brown eyes and looks up at me sleepily.

"What happened to 'If I have to get bruises, so do you'?" I ask, causing her to grin.

"Hey, I'm just passing the torch. I have enough marks to prove my loyalty. You get your butt back in that bed. It's your turn." She snuggles back into her blankets on the floor and ignores me, no matter how much I try to get her to relent.

I look up and see Rose's face twisted into a grimace. I let out a long sigh. Stupid girls. Stupid friends. Why am I doing this again? _Because you know you need friends, you thick headed dolt. And don't deny it, you know you love them. So go and comfort the poor girl_. Hooray, my superego has returned.

I give up my internal fight and do what I know I should be doing. I get back into the bed next to the restless Rose and try to decide what to do now. If she continues jerking around like she is, she will hurt herself or even me. Her arms seem to be doing the most damage, so I hold her arms to her side and wrap my arms around them from behind. My chest is against her back, and I am holding her arms down. Thank Merlin she is asleep, or this would be even more awkward than it already is.

She gradually calms down, and the look of pain eventually leaves her face. When it seems like she is done with the violence for the night, I lay my head back on the pillow and fall asleep almost instantly.

I wake up about six hours later when I hear a giggle. I open my eyes and I have to lift my head up off of the pillow to see over Rose's bushy head. Kayleigh is resting her head on the edge of the bed and she has her hand slapped over her mouth. Her eyes are bright and twinkly. I smile at her, causing her to take her hand off of her mouth and smile back. I motion for her to come around to my side of the bed. She comes over and climbs in next to me.

"What is so funny?" I ask.

"You guys looked so cute!" I groan, and Kay laughs. "Oh, don't be embarrassed! That is the most peaceful I've ever seen her during a nightmare. I think it might be due to the fact that you can actually hold her down. I'm not big enough to keep her still for even five seconds. Thanks for not being a prat about it; you could have been a lot worse. I guess I was wrong about you." She blushes and looks down at the sheets.

"Thanks, that means a lot coming from you." I smile at her. "I'm not mad at your opinion from before, you know that right?" I look at her and she slowly lifts her eyes to mine. We lock eyes for a moment and she nods slowly. "Good. I don't want you to think that I hate you or something because I truly don't." Kayleigh let out a breath I know she had been holding and we continue to lay in contemplative silence for a while. We only break out of our reverie when Rose shrieks.

"Scorpius what are you doing?!" She roughly pushes my arms from around her and rolls to the other side of the bed. She looks like she is ready to kill. "What was with the cuddling, you freak?!"

"You were going to murder me last night! I was restraining you, idiot. I didn't want to wake up with a black eye or a broken rib! Just chill out." The fire in her eyes ebbs away a little, and finally disappears when she notices Kayleigh lying next to me on the bed. She has that mischievous look in her eye, great.

"I thought I was in the middle last night? Is there something I should know about this new arrangement?" she wiggles her eyebrows and glances between Kay and me.

"No!" we both shout at the same time, blushing. I can always count on Rose to lay the insinuations on thick.

"We were just talking this morning. I slept on the floor last night, you perv. Get your mind out of the gutter." Kayleigh tells her, her face turning bright red.

"Right. Whatever you say." There is tangible tension in the room, and it is annoying me to death. It's time to go.

"All right ladies. I think we are all cranky and we need to go down and get some good ol' breakfast. We'll all feel less confrontational on a full stomach." They both glare at me, but I ignore it. I put on my shoes and robe from the night before and move to leave the room.

"Fine, you stupid wanker, we'll come eat." Rose and Kayleigh both get up from their spots on the bed. Rose comes right up to me and pushes me hard in the chest. "But don't think we are going to forget that you called us cranky and confrontational. You will regret that later, Malfoy. We need to get dressed, so go somewhere and try not to be such a boy." Rose pushes me from the room. When the door closes behind me, I stare at the wall for a moment before heading to her common room.

"Stupid women. I should have known what I was getting myself into." _Stop complaining! You are so ridiculous. You would be an emotional, depressed, lonely kid without friends if you didn't have them. Stop being a wanker._ No matter how much I try to ignore that little voice in my head, it keeps popping up. The most annoying thing is that the voice is right every time.

As soon as I sit down on the couch, there is a knock at Rose's portrait hole. I don't think Rose can hear it because neither Rose nor Kayleigh comes down to answer it. I don't answer the door because it's not my dormitory, but the person soon gets impatient.

"I know you're in there Rose! McGonagall gave me your password. I'm just being nice. If you don't open this door in five seconds, I'm coming in anyway!" It is not a voice that I recognize, so I know it's not Albus. Thank Merlin for that. Before I can yell for Rose to get her arse downstairs, the portrait swings open and a boy with red hair and brown eyes stomps into the common room. He freezes as soon as he sees me sitting on Rose's couch. Without stopping to say a word to me, he bounds up the stairs toward his sister's room. I slowly go up the stairs after him to catch a bit of their conversation.

"Hugo! What are you doing here?" I hear Kayleigh ask.

"Kay, where's Rose? I need to talk to her." I glance around the corner and see Kayleigh glaring at Hugo from the doorway.

"If you are here to lecture her about Albus, you can piss off." My eyes grow wide at Kayleigh's words. I did not know she could be so abrasive. It makes her even more desirable, in my opinion.

"I don't even care about their stupid row. They fight all the time and I'm sick of it. I just came to tell her that Jason started scheduling Quidditch practices. She's been so unreachable lately; I had to get McGonagall to give me her ruddy password so that I could talk to her. Just tell her that she starts practice on Monday, will you? Jason's been on my arse so much about her. Get her to tell him to lay off. He's cutting into my study time." Kayleigh nods with a humorous look on her face and Hugo starts down the stairs. He glances at me indifferently before leaving the common room.

Wow. That was oddly calm and somewhat conciliatory. Who knew Weasleys were so even tempered? I guess it's the Potters that you have to watch out for. I thought about that for a moment before I heard Rose's frustrated growl come from her room. Oh, right, Rose is the confrontational Weasley. It is only fitting that there's a passive one.

"How did he start scheduling without me? I'm the co-captain! I'm going to kill him!" Her door swings open and she begins rushing down the hallway. I stand in her way because I know that her temper will just get her into trouble.

"Slow down there, Weasley." She glares at me but I don't move an inch. "You don't need to be going after Jason when you're so ticked off. You know you're going to end up with another detention." Kayleigh looks at me appreciatively.

"He's right. You stay here, and we'll go get food." Rose looks absolutely livid but she accedes to our demands. She flops back on her bed and closes her eyes.

"Fine, whatever. I'll just go back to sleep then. Just bring me back something good, eh?"

We know she really means, 'bring me up every possible morsel of food that you can carry.' I glace over at Kayleigh, and I know she just had the same thought that I did. We laugh and Rose looks at us strangely before shrugging and closing her eyes again.

Kayleigh and I head down to the Great Hall to get breakfast for all of us. The conversation flows pretty effortlessly, and I cannot believe how well we get along even though she pretty much hated me a week ago. It is so funny how quickly things can change.

"Hey, Scorpius, do you think you could tell me what brought her nightmares back? I didn't want to bring it up in front of her, but I am curious." Kay asks as we approach the third floor. I know Rose is just going to fill her in later anyway, seeing as her dad is involved, so I decide to tell her what happened.

I tell her about the three staff members whispering in the dungeon during our detention. I see her expression tighten when I mention Professor Warren, and she looks worried when I mention her dad. I finish telling her about the possible threat that has arisen, and she stares at me blankly and stops walking.

"Are you serious?" I nod and she covers her eyes with her hand. I see the tears trailing down her cheeks, slipping past her fingers. I'm starting to get more comfortable with crying girls, but I really hate to see Kay cry. I feel a tightening sensation in my chest and I feel the need to wrap my arms around her and make her feel better.

I slowly take her hand from her face; the tightening in my chest becomes painful as I see the tears swimming in her brown eyes. She looks up at me and I open my arms to her, hoping that she trusts me enough to let me comfort her. She immediately wraps her arms around my neck and buries her face in my chest.

I put one hand on the small of her back and stroke her hair with the other, marveling in the feel of her in my arms._ I could get used to this_, I think to myself. Standing in the third floor corridor with Kayleigh in my arms, I realize that I need to pluck up some courage and do something about my feelings.

She begins to calm down and I reluctantly loosen my grip on her. She steps away from my embrace and timidly looks up into my eyes. "Thanks." She whispers. "I know you're not a fan of crying girls. I could tell when Rose had her little break down after the whole Albus mess."

"You noticed that?" I ask in confusion. She giggles softly.

"How could I not? You had this look of absolute helplessness on your face, and you stood about ten feet away from us until she stopped crying. Rose told me that the whole friend thing is new to you. But have no worries. We'll help you out." She smiles and I try to smile back.

It is weird for me to have so many people who are paying so much attention to me at school, and to care about me period. Besides my mum and dad, no one has ever really cared about me or what I did. Rose and Kayleigh seem to be so in tune with me even though it has only been a week. I don't want to sound conceited, but I really don't think I need help with the whole 'how to be a good friend' thing anymore.

When I'm with them, I just know what to do. I feel as if I know what they need and I want them to be happy. I want them to trust me, and as odd as it sounds, I already trust those two girls with my life. Rose pulled me out of the hole that I had been in for the past six years and then brought Kayleigh into my life; I couldn't be more grateful for her intervention on the train at the beginning of this year.

Kayleigh loops one of her arms through mine as we walk down the stairs toward the Great hall, and I can feel the smile spread across my face. We enter the almost empty Great Hall, linked arm in arm. The majority of the teachers are at the staff table, but there are no students at the House Tables. I guess no one gets up at 8 o'clock on Saturday mornings.

"So I'm guessing we're loading up with a bit of everything?" I ask, although I already know the answer. Kayleigh laughs and pulls me toward the Hufflepuff table.

"It's more like we need a lot of everything. Rose will eat the little bit of everything on her own." Kayleigh loads a plate up with heaps of bacon, eggs, and enough toast to feed a small army while I grab milk, pumpkin juice, and a huge bowl of cereal. Thank goodness everyone is still asleep because we would look really odd carrying food through the hallways.

Kayleigh glances over at the staff table and I see her smile and wave. I turn and see her dad sitting at the Head table with a confused, sort of half-smile on his face. I feel his penetrating eyes on me, but I don't want to meet his gaze. In my peripheral vision, I can see Kayleigh shaking with laughter. I look up at her just in time to see her wink at her dad and mouth what looks like '_I'll tell you later_.'

"Come on Scorpy; let's go feed the lion living up on the seventh floor." She loops the arm not carrying a plate through my arm holding the cereal and leads me out of the Great Hall with a mischievous grin on her face.

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**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I know I don't update regularly, but high school is really hectic. I really appreciate any reviews :]**


	7. By the Equipment Shed

Chapter 7

I honestly cannot believe how fast this year is going by. The days and months used to blur together as one ongoing dark tunnel that I could not get out of. Now, all of my days seemed to be filled with laughter and happiness and time is waving as it passes me in the blink of an eye.

I'm not regretting the Head boy choice as much as I thought I would because Rose has made good on her word to handle most of the annoying stuff. I attribute her success at handling whiny first years and complaining professors to the fact that she is just as annoying as they are, and she can relate. Don't think that I dislike Rose because of her annoyingness; she's my best friend, and I think her ability to pester people is a part of her charm.

Although I don't regret accepting Head Boy, I do regret my lack of action when it comes to Kayleigh. After every passing day my feelings continue to grow and grow, and I continue to ignore them and not act on them. Rose is bugging me more than ever, and I would not be surprised if she tried to set us up. That's just something I can see her doing, and I'm hoping she doesn't. I want to man up and be the one to ask Kay out, even if it kills me.

"Scorpius! Wake your scrawny little butt up! We have fliers to disperse!" At least she is giving me a little bit of warning this time.

Rose came to wake me up in about the end of September when we had something to do; I can't remember what it was at the moment. She barged into my room while I was getting ready to go down and meet her. Because it was Rose, she didn't really care that she had walked in on me nearly starkers. She just told me to "Hurry the hell up."

Ever since then, she has made it her mission in life to embarrass me to death by calling me scrawny or twiggy in every other sentence. I know she does it just to bug me; I'm not that thin.

"Relax, Weasley, I'm coming." I put on some clean clothes and brush my teeth before heading down to the common room.

"You could have moved a little faster. You know I have practice this morning!" She scolds me.

"Why didn't you just get Kayleigh to help me so that you would have time to get ready for practice? You know she wouldn't mind helping out a bit. She is a prefect, after all." I suggest, and Rose smiles at me slyly.

"You would just love that, wouldn't you, twiggy?" I punch her jokingly in the shoulder and she has a fake look of shock on her face.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit girls?" she says, aghast.

"I haven't hit any girls lately; I don't know what you're talking about. Show me one girl in this room." She glares at me; I know the whole tomboy thing has started bugging her a bit recently, but I can't take back what I said. It's too late.

"You know what? Go get Kayleigh. I don't feel like dealing with you this morning." She throws the fliers down on my table and stalks out of my common room. She has a bad temper, but lately it's been getting worse. Now I'm going to have to apologize. Hell of my own making, I guess.

I pick up the fliers on the table and head out to go and find Kayleigh. I know she doesn't crawl out of bed until close to ten on Saturdays unless she has to. I hate waking her up, but I don't feel like putting up all of the fliers for the Hogsmeade trip by myself. When I enter the Hufflepuff common room, a few people greet me or nod in my direction; they have grown accustom to having me in their common room since I've been friends with Kayleigh. I spot one of the girls in Kayleigh's dorm and I go over to her.

"Hey, Abby, would you mind going and getting Kayleigh for me?" I ask, and she grins.

"Sure thing, Scorpius." She hops up from her place on the sofa and bounds up the stairs to the girl's dormitories. That grin makes me a little uneasy; why would she smile at me like that. Does she know something that I don't?

About five minutes after Abby went upstairs, I see Kayleigh coming down the stairs with a smile on her face. Her beautiful smile is infectious, so I flash her one in return. As has become her habit, Kayleigh throws her arms around my neck and hugs me in greeting. "Good morning!" she says, unwrapping her arms from around my neck.

"Good morning." I reply.

"So, why are you waking me up early on a Saturday? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but if you're interrupting my precious sleep I want to know why." She asks.

"Well, Rose and I were supposed to put up flyers for the Hogsmeade trip next weekend, but-"

"You got into another row." I nod, causing Kayleigh to sigh loudly. "This whole crush on Jason is getting out of hand. She just needs to ask him out, snog him or all of the above before she drives us both crazy." I forgot to mention Rose's crush. That's why she's been so moody lately.

"It's too late. She's already driving us both crazy, and she won't make a move unless he does first. I did not know she way the type to be shy around guys. Can't we just lock them both in the Quidditch equipment shed and let them work out whatever they need to work out?" I offer. Kayleigh looks at me contemplatively. "You aren't seriously considering that, are you? I was just kidding. Unless you want Rose to punch more walls, or even us, you better snap out of it."

"She wouldn't punch us if it worked." I stare at her in disbelief. What she is proposing is utter lunacy. "Don't give me that look. We're going to do it; or at least I am. They always put equipment away together. Rose always gushes about what they talk about when they're alone, so we'll really give her something to gush about this time."

"Fine. Whatever. I'll help you. Just know, that if this doesn't work out, you're going to be the human punching bag, not me." I tell her seriously.

I really like Kayleigh, but Rose is downright scary when she's mad. I would do anything for Kayleigh, even fight dementors, but I don't ever want to risk instigating the wrath of Rose. Okay, so that might not be exactly accurate, I will probably end up as the punching bag; she doesn't need to know that I would do that for her though. Yet.

"Let's get these posters up quick so that we don't miss the end of their practice. We'll wait by the broom shed until the end of practice, and then when they go into put the equipment away, BAM! We lock them in. You know a good locking charm, right?" she asks with a cute, devious smile on her face.

"Of course I do. Come on, let's get this over with."

We both pick up some fliers and head out of the Hufflepuff common room as fast as we can. We work from the dungeons up, posting the Hogsmeade fliers in every corridor and stopping in all of the common rooms along the way. Once we hit the seventh floor, we head back down to the entrance hall and post some right outside of the Great Hall. The Headmistress always announces Hogsmeade weekends, but Rose and I thought that the fliers would serve as a reminder to everyone and they would also create a little more excitement; not that all of the students didn't already look forward to Hogsmeade weekends more than anything else.

We head out of the front doors and make our way to the Quidditch pitch to wait by the broom shed. I notice that most of the team is out of the air, and I can see Rose and Jason packing up the equipment on the ground.

"We're just in time." Kayleigh says settling down behind some trees so that we're out of sight. About 15 minutes after we get to the broom shed, we see Rose and Jason heading down from the pitch. "Okay, you ready?" I nod my head and she smiles.

We look over and see the two captains approaching the shed. They both set down the trunk with the playing balls in it, and Kayleigh and I glace at one another._ What are they doing?_ she mouths to me. They just stopped randomly. I shrug and turn my gaze back to Rose and Jason. My jaw drops at the sight in front of me.

They were snogging each other's brains out. I turn my head for one second, and he already has Rose pressed up against the broom shed. I feel my face erupt in to flames as my cheeks heats up. I can't even look over at Kayleigh to gauge her reaction because I just might die at the level of awkwardness that I know will come between us.

Without looking at Kay, I grab her hand and urgently pull her away from the bushes. We run as fast as we can to the nearest shelter, which happened to be the Herbology greenhouses. We duck behind greenhouse two and collapse onto the grass.

"What just happened?" I hear Kayleigh as from beside me.

"I'll let you know when the shock wears off." We sit in stunned silence for a few moments, neither of us noticing our still clasped hands.

"They must've had a really good practice." Kayleigh comments with a grin on her face, breaking the silence. I throw my head back and laugh, and Kayleigh joins in. We get all of the laughter out of our system and then sit in silence for another moment. I can't help but wonder what Kayleigh is thinking.

"I normally hang out with Rose on Hogsmeade weekend, but I don't really think I want to hang out with the two of them in Hogsmeade. That's supposed to be my one fun day off of school, and I'm not wasting it following the snogging couple around all day. They will be just unbearable, I can feel it. Now what and I supposed to do?" She says exasperatedly. I jump at this opportunity, not letting it pass me by.

"What am I, chopped liver? You could always spend the day with me. I hear I'm not such bad company." I feel her perk up at my offer.

"Really? You would want to spend the whole day with me?" She looks up at me and my heart melts at the sight of her deep brown eyes.

"Of course I would! Why wouldn't I want to spend the day with you? You're one of my favorite people." She tears her gaze from mine and lowers her eyes to the grass.

"I always thought you just put up with me because I was Rose's best friend. You're always so nice to me, but I thought it was for Rose and because you were such great friends. I didn't exactly expect you to like me for any other reason." She plucks at the grass and doesn't look up at me. I cannot believe that she thinks that. I had never thought about that before; she always seems so at ease around me. I never would have guessed that she thinks I don't like her for her.

The voice pops into my head at that exact moment. _Now you imbecile, do it now! Tell her, tell her! You'll never get a more bloody perfect opportunity!_

I take a deep breath before placing my hand under her chin and lifting her eyes to mine. "I like you for you, Kayleigh Longbottom; not because Rose or anyone else wants me to like you. You're kind and sweet and funny and beautiful. Don't ever doubt that." I see a small smile make its way on to her face along with a blush in her cheeks.

"Are you just messing with me, or are you being serious?" she asks curiously.

"I'm being completely honest, I promise." She takes my hand in hers and I relish the feeling. She draws shapes in my palms with her fingers; it looks like she has more to say, but she can't get it out. I keep the silence for a moment, giving her an opportunity to say what she would like.

"I really like you, Scorpius. More than I think I should. More than I thought possible." She whispers, her fingers grasping my hand tightly. She looks up and locks her eyes with mine.

My heart bursts at her revelation and I can hardly will myself to speak. "Me too," I manage to get out. I feel like a giddy first year on his way to Hogwarts for the first time. Even though I really wasn't giddy as a first year, I'm sure that's about the level of happiness and anxiousness I'm experiencing at the moment.

"So does that mean Hogsmeade is going to be like a date?" she asks warily, as if I could deny her anything.

"Do you want it to be a date?" She nods slowly and somewhat apprehensively. I smile at her brightly as my heart explodes again.

"Then it's a date." I reply. She grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. We keep our hands grasped tightly as we walk up to the castle, luminous smiles gracing both of our faces.

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**A/N: YAY! Scorpius gets his crush. Woot. I loved writing this chapter. Reviews are welcome, and appreciated!**

**P.S. I know some of you automatically assumed this was going to be a Scorpius/Rose story... no where have I ever said this. I wanted to try something a little more out of the box, so I decided to make them friends instead. They'll be hanging out more in upcoming chapters... I just had to get Scorpius his girl first :]**


	8. Right Place, Right Time?

Chapter 8: Right Place, Right Time?

The day is here, finally; this week has gone by as slowly as humanly possible. The weekend always seems to come slowly when you really want it to be the weekend. When you're indifferent, the weekend comes faster than you can say 'blink.'

This week, giggles and stares from the Hufflepuff fifth years have been following me around like a plague. They seem absolutely fascinated by the fact that Kayleigh and I are going out this weekend. I think it's partly because Kayleigh is the first of her friends to go on a date, and with a Slytherin and the Head Boy nonetheless.

Also, surprisingly, I haven't been confronted by Professor Longbottom yet. I know he has heard about the whole date thing; gossip travels fast in Hogwarts, and Kayleigh told him about us. I'm still dreading the day that he comes to me about Kayleigh, but, until then, I try not to think about it.

My anticipation for this weekend has been growing and growing all week, and I'm more anxious than I have ever been about anything in my life. Kayleigh and I are going on an actual date in Hogsmeade, and I don't think I could possibly be any happier.

Speaking of happy people, Rose has been absolutely blissful as well, seeing as she has a new boyfriend and all. Apparently, Jason had a huge crush on Rose, and he was just waiting for the right moment to act on it. I didn't ask for all of the details on how it happened; that is Kayleigh's area as far as best friends go. All I have to say is thank goodness he cracked and asked her to Hogsmeade. I don't know what I would do if I still had to hear her continual whining anymore.

Kayleigh and Rose are getting ready in Rose's dormitory and I'm going to meet them there. Jason is meeting Rose outside of the Gryffindor common room, so Kayleigh and I are on our own after that. I really hope this whole date thing goes well because I don't know what I will do if it doesn't. I just won't think about what could go wrong. I'll focus on the positives.

I throw my robes on and head out of my common room to go and pick up Rose and Kayleigh. I walk slowly, giving the girls more time to get ready. I'm supposed to be up there at 11-it's 11 right now- but I'm going to be fashionably late, for their sakes.

When I get up to Rose's dormitory, it's only 11:10, and I hope that they're ready. I enter the portrait and walk into an empty common room. "Hello? You guys better be ready. I'm even ten minutes late," I call up the staircase that leads to Rose's room.

"Hold your thestrals, twiggy, we're coming!" I hear Rose shout. I know it's a bad idea, but I just can't resist.

"I can't see thestrals, you git. How am I supposed to hold them?" It's a really stupid comment, and she'll be really pissed at me, but I had to say it. I hear two sets of footsteps, one louder than the other. Rose stops down the stairs and heads over to me.

"Don't try and be all smart, Malfoy. I don't need this right now. I'm already on edge, so stop being such a prat!" She pushes my chest with both of her hands and sits down hard on the couch.

I look over at Kayleigh and see her holding back her laughs. She notices that she has my attention and walks over to me slowly. She envelops me in a hug, but this time it's somehow different than the others-better than the hugs before. Maybe it's because we both know what that feeling is we get whenever come in contact. I smile and squeeze her tightly.

"Awwwwwww!" Rose coos from the couch. "My wittle babies are all grown up!" She wipes away a few fake tears as we pull away from one another. Before we completely separate, I whisper in Kayleigh's ear.

"We'll get her back for that when she meets her lover boy, Jason." Kayleigh laughs and nods her head.

"Of course we are." She gently intertwines our fingers and squeezes my hand. "Come on, mother dear, you're going to be late for your meeting with your 'wittle Jason'."

Rose realizes how late it is and gathers up her purse and puts on her robes before bolting out of the common room. It's only a few steps to the Gryffindor common room, and Rose nearly skips the whole way. I normally would make fun of her unusually giddy behavior, but I know I probably look the same way to others around me. As soon as Rose sees Jason outside of the common room, she sprints over to him and jumps into his arms. I honestly did not know her feelings for him were that intense.

When Kayleigh and I approach them, we exchange a glance and a smile. "Awwwww. Our wittle baby is all grown up!" We say simultaneously, causing Rose to let go of Jason as if she has been shocked. We burst into laughter, along with Jason, at Rose's blazing red cheeks. I walk over with Kayleigh and I pat them both on the shoulder.

"Now have fun, but not too much fun." They both look at me incredulously. "In simple terms, that means let's not have a repeat performance of what happened at the broom shed, eh?" Rose turns a deeper shade of red, if possible, and Jason's jaw nearly hits the floor. I pull Kayleigh down the corridor, leaving the other couple behind.

"That was so mean! You did know that he didn't know we knew about that, right?" I take a second to decipher what Kay had actually said; I'm still learning how to figure out teenage-girl speak.

"I knew that he didn't know that I knew." That's creepy. Now, I can even speak teenage girl! "That's what made it all the more satisfying. And, you have to admit, the looks on both of their faces were hilarious!" She shakes her head and I know she thought it was funny.

"Okay, okay, it was pretty funny," she admits. I smile and lead her out toward the carriages that are going to take us to Hogsmeade.

When we get to the carriages, there are a few people getting in, but a lot of people leave a little bit earlier than we are. We decided earlier in the week that we would get to the carriages after many of the students had already left. We get a carriage to ourselves, and Kayleigh leans into my left side as we ride on our way to town.

When we arrive at Hogsmeade, there is a definite chill in the air so we decide to head into the Three Broomsticks for a warm butterbeer. Mrs. Longbottom definitely has her hands full because the place is packed. We head over to the counter to get our drinks.

"Mum!" Kayleigh calls over to the counter. I see Mrs. Longbottom's face light up at the sight of her daughter.

"Sweetheart, I was wondering when you were going to get here. Where's Rose?" She looks around, and I feel somewhat self-conscious as her eyes linger on me.

"She has a date mum! Jason on the Quidditch team! Can you believe it?"

"That boy she always used to complain about?" Kayleigh nods. "Oh dear, I must tell Hermione! Ron is going to have a fit. Rose's first serious boyfriend; we never thought it was going to happen!" I smile at Mrs. Longbottom's revelation; I always love new information that I can use to push Rose's buttons.

"Mum you can't! She'll tell them herself whenever she's ready." Kayleigh crosses her arms over her chest and looks disapprovingly at her mother. "Can we just get two butterbeers? We have other things to see today."

"We? Who is w-" she glances back over at me and her eyebrows shoot up on her forehead. "Oh, so this must be the boy your father was telling me about the other day. Mr. Malfoy, am I correct?" She has a harsh look on her face, and I'm not sure whether she's angry, happy, or apathetic. It's weird how she went from bubbly and happy to indifferent and unreadable in a matter of seconds.

"Yes, mum, so be nice." She grabs the two butterbeers that her mum had just set on the counter. "We'll stop by before we head back to the carriages. Oh, and tell Jonathan I say hi! I miss that little bugger." Her mom shoots her a disapproving look at Kayleigh's name for her brother and then finally nods in agreement. We head over to an empty table with the warm drinks in hand.

"So that wasn't the least bit awkward." I say sarcastically. Kayleigh giggles.

"I'm sorry. I forgot to warn you about my mum. She is probably super excited about me going on my first date, but I think she's a little wary of you, just like everyone else. I'm sorry." She says somewhat sadly. I hold her hand in mine, causing her to look up and meet my eyes.

"You don't have to apologize for the way others feel about me. It's not your fault or mine that our parents have a complex past. We can only live with it and not let it affect us. All that matters is how you feel about me. Everyone else can just go jump into the Black Lake." She smiles and squeezes my hand.

We sip our butterbeers and exchange light conversation for a while before we decide to brave the cold outside. We stroll around Hogsmeade hand-in-hand, causing many students to stare as we walk by. Kayleigh and I knew that we would cause a little of a stir in the student population, but we have decided to go on as normal and disregard what anyone else thinks. We visit Honeydukes and Zonko's and even take a walk out to the Shrieking Shack. As we pass Madame Puddifoot's on the way back to the Three Broomsticks, we both exchange disgusted glances and laugh at the look on the other's face

"I probably would have broken up with you on the spot if you would have tried to get me to come here," I tell Kayleigh frankly. She grins.

"I definitely would have stood you up if you had even mentioned the name. Merlin, this place is horrid." We both take a moment to glance at the pink frilliness of the café. "Yuck. Let's just go. It makes me want to retch just standing here." She grasps my hand and pulls me down the road.

Puddifoot's is near the edge of town, so we don't linger very long. It is also beginning to get dark outside, so we try to make our way quickly back to the Three Broomsticks. We stop just outside of an alley near Zonko's to come up with a game plan for my second meeting with Kayleigh's mum.

"She really doesn't like me," I point out to Kay.

"Oh, hush, she doesn't even know you yet. Just be your good, kind, gentlemanly self and my mum will warm up to you in no time. My dad obviously is okay with us going out because he didn't flip out when I told him, so relax. My mum will see you're not as bad as she thinks," Kayleigh reassures me, placing her hand on my cheek tenderly.

She looks up and her warm brown eyes seem to stare into my soul. Her face inches closer to mine, and I feel my heart break into a sprint. I bend my head down to make up for the difference in our heights, and I can feel her sweet breath mingling with my own. Our lips finally touch, and my heart stops for more than one reason.

"What do you think you're doing?" We jump apart at the raised voices coming from down the alley. "This is not a matter to be discussed in public, you stupid animal!" I hold Kayleigh closer to me and press us against the side of the wall.

"We needed some more information, we, we didn't understand," Another man stutters.

"Then you see me in private! I made it clear that no one is to hear anything of this. It is of the utmost importance that this is kept secret. The failed attempt on his life earlier was almost detrimental to the plan. You idiots need to start paying more attention and doing as I say!" The other man hisses.

"If we could only get some help, I feel we could do better. Perhaps Mr. M-"

"Quiet! We will discuss this elsewhere. I have considered him, and I have a plan. Do you doubt that I can make the right decisions?"

"No, sir."

"Then restrain from making such useless suggestions, you fool." I feel Kayleigh shaking in my arms, and her face is pale white. I can feel her hands becoming clammy. Even though I want to hear more, I decide that it's time to go before we are discovered.

I have to almost carry Kayleigh away from the alley all the way to the Three Broomsticks. I stop outside to try and calm her down; I don't want to risk her mother seeing her in such a state. Some of her color has returned, but she still looks petrified.

"Are you okay?" I ask placing a hand on her forehead. She nods slowly.

"I'm just in shock. Why are we always in the wrong place at the wrong time?" she inquires.

"I don't know. It may be that we are in the right place at the right time, to be honest. We would be in the dark if we had not overheard so many things. It worries me that your parents probably know what's going on but they are neglecting to tell you and Rose." She lets out a sigh and takes my hand off of her forehead.

"You're right. I would rather find out from my parents, but I'm glad we know what we know. Let's just drop in on my mom and leave. We need to talk to Rose, and I'm feeling paranoid about being out here in the open." She takes my hand and leads me inside.

I don't know what's going on, but I sure as hell am going to find out. I finally have found some love and peace in my life, yet things seem to be crumbling around me. I am going to find out what's going on if it kills me; I'm not taking any risks when it comes to Rose or Kayleigh.

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**A/N: So, just as a heads up, I know I'm not going to be posting regularly now. During the school year, I can only post sporadically... I can't help it. I'm going to try and finish up all of my stories before senior year, so most of these stories will be being updated and finished up this summer. I will be posting a few chapters in upcoming months... but don't expect anything too regular until mid-June. I'm so sorry that I have to do this, but school is my priority as of right now. **


	9. Stupid, Crazy Boys

Chapter 9: Stupid, Crazy Boys

Rose is pacing back and forth in the Room of Requirement as Kayleigh and I tell her what we heard in Hogsmeade. She's pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, obviously trying to subdue her anger and fright.

"So, from these sketchy guys in the alley, we can obviously connect some dots. It looks like someone, most likely the guys in the alley, are trying to kill Harry Potter. The thing is they haven't been successful," she states, mostly to herself.

"Thank goodness they haven't been successful," Kayleigh says letting out a sigh from her spot on my lap.

"We know tons of people want revenge against your Uncle, but who is behind it? And why are they acting now?" I ask out loud.

"What about my dad? He obviously knows something," Kayleigh asks. Rose sighs and sinks down onto the couch next to us.

"I honestly don't know," Rose says. It is odd to hear Rose sound so confused and defeated; I don't think I have ever known her not to have an idea about something. We all sit silently for a few minutes because there isn't really anything that can be said at the moment.

"Well, I've had enough drama for one day. I vote that we make a plan tomorrow at breakfast. I'm about ready to fall asleep," Kayleigh says mid-yawn, breaking the silence.

Rose and I both decide to walk with Kayleigh and drop her off at the Hufflepuff portrait. We both keep a close eye on her as she groggily navigates all of the stairways, making sure that she doesn't fall and hurt herself. When we reach the Hufflepuff portrait, Rose keeps walking.

"I'll meet you in your dorm. I'm too lazy to walk up to mine," Rose says while walking toward my dormitory.

As soon as she is out of sight, I wrap my arms tightly around Kayleigh and I feel her relax into my arms. I hold her tightly for a few moments before kissing her lightly on the forehead. "Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning." She grins up at me sleepily before kissing me on the cheek.

"Goodnight. And make sure to look out for Rose for me; I have a feeling she might get more nightmares." I nod in agreement before she slowly slips through the portrait hole.

I walk down the corridor slowly, my heavy, drowsy footsteps echoing off of the stone walls. I walk through my portrait hole and throw my robes on the ground beside the door. When I enter my common room, Rose is lying on the couch, staring at the fire roaring in the fireplace.

"I didn't know fire was so entertaining," I quip, causing Rose to turn her head slightly and frown at me.

"Stop trying to be funny. Normally, you're pretty funny for a Slytherin. Right now, at this very moment, you are in no way funny," she grumbles clutching the pillow beneath her head.

I walk over and sit beside her on the couch, pulling her feet into my lap. "Come on Weasley, spill your guts. I know something else is bothering you on top of the whole Harry Potter mess."

"I hate you for being so perceptive," she says to me. I urge her to go on. "Well, it's been great hanging out with you and Kay for these past few months, and, I hate to admit it, but I miss Albus at least acknowledging my existence. Hugo still talks to me, as do most of the other Gryffindors, but Al can't get a grip; it's starting to wear on me. Quidditch is becoming more painful than fun, and I can't stand him glaring at me all of the time!"

I feel bad for not picking up on this before; Rose hasn't had much contact with her cousin at all in the past two months.

"I love that we're best friends and everything now, but it hurts that he won't talk to me. Bugger, I feel like such a softie admitting this. He's my cousin, you know? My family; he's supposed to love me no matter what stupid blokes I decide to associate myself with," she says sadly, staring back into the fire.

I had never heard Rose speak so honestly about anything before this moment. I have always seen her as this impenetrable, strong brick wall that doesn't show emotion. I don't think I really knew her after all those years on the train, but I'm beginning to know her now.

Rose is strong and independent, but just like any other girl, she has feelings; only it takes a lot more for her to show how she feels.

"Is it just me, or is this one of those rare moments in life where a hug is mandatory?" I ask. Rose stiffens immediately at my suggestion..

"Ummm, no. That's what Kay is for. I don't do touchy-feely." I smirk and cough "Jason" very conspicuously. She scowls at me.

"You know you want to. Something about acknowledging our bestie status calls for a hug." She raises an eyebrow at me. "Don't judge my vernacular. It's not my fault my girlfriend's friends are all 15, besides you, and they have the vocabulary of a crup. I picked up some slang. Deal with it." I reach over to hug her, and she jumps up off of the couch.

"Scorpius Malfoy, if you lay one finger on me I will smash your face in." I step forward menacingly.

"Come on. Someone has to show their feelings in this relationship, and it obviously isn't you." I know it isn't true, but I'm only saying it to egg her on.

"I don't care. I don't want a hug." I can almost feel victory in my grasp at her unconvincing tone. I walk over to her and engulf her in a hug before she can protest. She struggles for a moment before realizing that it's useless; I'm stronger than she is. She loosely hugs me back.

"Slytherin bastard," she mumbles into my chest.

"Aw. I love you, too, best friend." She punches me in the arm before we settle back onto the couch, her feet in my lap.

_I don't remember falling asleep,_ I think to myself as I am awakened by a sharp pain in my legs. I open my eyes slowly, only to see the common room illuminated by the sunrise; it must be close to dawn. We had fallen asleep on the couch. I feel the pain again before I look down; Rose is convulsing violently in her sleep. I crouch down next to the sofa and hold her arms down by her side.

"Rose, wake up." I say loudly, squeezing her arms a bit. "Come on, Weasley!" I put a hand on her cheek and her motions slow somewhat. "Come on, come on! Get up!" I see tears making their way down her cheeks and she stops convulsing. "Rose?' I ask hesitantly. He blue eyes snap open and she gasps.

"Oh, Merlin, I am so sorry. Did I leave any bruises this time?" She asks, her eyes frantically looking over me.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" She nods but then shakes her head.

"It hasn't been this bad since right after we went into the pensieve. I think it might be all the stress and drama; it's getting to me."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She shakes her head, but I know I have to try and do something.

"I'll think of something later. Why don't you sleep for a little while longer; I'll wake you up if you start having nightmares." She yawns and nods, settling her head onto my lap. I pick up a book from the table and read for a bit while she sleeps.

About an hour later, I hear my portrait hole slide open and a smile makes its way onto my face. "Does your girlfriend know about this?" I hear my favorite voice ask from the direction of the door. I smile and motion for her to come over to the couch quietly.

"Yeah, she knows, and I'm lucky she's not the jealous type." Kayleigh grins at my comment and sets down what looks like breakfast food on the table. She looks warily at Rose.

"How bad was it?" she asks, brushing some hair from Rose's forehead.

"Pretty bad. I think my legs might have some bruises, and I'm worried about her. She told me last night that she's feeling stressed out." Kayleigh nods. "She also mentioned Albus, and I think I'm going to try and do something about that particular issue. I think if I chat with him, he might stop being such a prat."

"I think that's a good idea. If she doesn't have to deal with it, and it gets fixed, she might feel a little better. When would you do it?"

"I'm thinking I should go now, before I lose my nerve," I say, gently removing Rose's head from my lap and standing up. "I'll be back soon." I kiss Kayleigh quickly on the cheek before heading up to the Gryffindor common room.

I make my way up to the Gryffindor common room pretty quickly because it's Sunday morning and the corridors are pretty much empty. The Fat Lady nods to me cordially after I give her the password, and I enter the empty common room without any problems.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" I hear a voice call from the corner of the common room. I turn around quickly to see Albus Potter sitting in a secluded couch near the portrait hole. Well, that makes my life easier. I was worried a second ago that he would hex me if I woke him up.

"I'm here to talk to you, Potter, as a matter of fact," I tell him before sitting in a chair across from him.

"We have nothing to say to one another. Why don't you just slither back to your dungeon where you belong?" He says; his voice is laced with hate and malice.

"What the bloody hell is your problem with me? I've never done anything to you!" I ask, trying in vain not to raise my voice. He reclines back in his chair and glares at me.

"I just don't like you. I don't have to explain myself to you. We're not friends. We're not even acquaintances." I feel the anger building up inside of me.

"Okay, I'll agree with that. We may not be friends, but Rose is my best friend, and she's your cousin. You can be an arse to me, but she hasn't ever done anything to you. She doesn't deserve how you have been treating her lately. I know you don't really get along, but you can at least acknowledge her existence!"

"Stop talking like you know her better than I do!" He shouts. "Like you said, she's MY cousin. MY family. I know I'll always be there for her, but I also know you won't. You Malfoys are all the bloody same; you don't care about anyone but yourself. I know you'll hurt her, and Kayleigh for that matter, one day, but I'll always be here for them whenever they need me." We are in a full on shouting match now. His nostrils are flaring, and his face is red and twisted in anger.

"You need to stop lying to yourself. You obviously aren't always there for her, especially not right now. Do you know about the nightmares? Do you know what she worries about and what makes her happy? I don't think you do. My relationships with both Kayleigh and Rose are perfectly fine right now. I can't exactly say the same for you, so just back off."

Albus opens his mouth to say something, but he quickly closes it. We stare at each other for a moment; he has nothing more to say, but I do.

"You don't know me, and obviously you don't trust me. But, think about this: Rose is hurting now, and it has nothing to do with me," I tell him through clenched teeth.

I turn and storm out of the common room, but not before I see a look of shocked recognition passes across Albus Potter's face.

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**A/N: I'm still alive, and I apologixe for the ridiculous wait. The end of the school year was ridiculously stressful, and school comes before everything else. For at least the next three weeks I will update once a week. depending on whether or not I get a job, I will be trying to finish up this story within the next two months. I have my senior year of high school coming up, and I know that it is going to be crazy. I will try to get this story finished ASAP. **

**Thanks so much to everyone who is still reading this story. I hope you like this chapter. Reviews are appreciated immensely :]**


	10. Wake Me Up

**A/N: Things are getting a little switched up for the next 4-6 chapters... I haven't made up my mind yet. I will be writing the next few chapters in Rose and Kayleigh's POV, not Scorpius'. Never fear, he will be back soon!**

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Chapter 10: Wake Me Up (Rose POV)

It seems to me like we've all been thrown into some kind of time warp; this year, everything is speeding by at lightening pace. I also feel like I'm living in an alternate universe. Scorpius is one of my best friends, he's dating my Kay, and I'm going out with Jason of all people. Life has a funny way of surprising you.

I never knew my life could change so much in a little less than four months, and not necessarily for the better. The secret inklings of clandestine plans involving my Uncle Harry have been bouncing around in my head since that first detention with Scorpius, when we overheard our professors. My dreams that have been triggered by these overheard conversations are constantly haunting me and making it harder and harder to sleep and to live normally.

I've been telling Scorpius and Kay that the dreams aren't really that bad, but I'm lying for their benefit; they would never leave me alone if they knew my dreams were getting worse. I stay up late most nights getting ahead in my lessons and trying to keep from falling asleep. I can already feel the toll that the insomnia is taking on my body because it's getting harder and harder to stay awake in class.

Albus has been increasingly cordial lately, and I don't know what changed his mind, but I'm glad that he did. He smiles at me kindly every once in a while, and he even compliments me at practice sometimes. I miss the little pranks that he and Hugo used to pull on me, but I'll take whatever I can get when it comes to Albus acknowledging me. I know he'll get over Scorpius being my friend one day.

Today is the last day of classes before we all leave to go home for the Christmas holiday; I know it's crazy that it's already Christmastime! I get up at about six after a fitful two hours of sleep and hop into the shower. I step under the scalding hot water and hope in vain that it will wake me up. When I'm finished getting ready, I head down to the Great Hall to wait for Scorpius and Kay to arrive.

I grab a hot bowl of oatmeal and try to eat some of it, but I'm not feeling very hungry. I end up staring at it for a while before I see two people take a seat across from me. I look up to see the bright, smiling faces of the blonde duo. _They would have really cute kids_. I muster up the best smile I can before looking up and meeting their gazes.

"Good morning, guys," I say happily. Well, at least I hope I sound happy. Their smiles falter slightly; I guess my acting skills aren't as good as I hoped.

"Did you sleep at all last night, Rose?" Kayleigh asks me.

"Of course I did. I just stayed up a little late catching up on some homework," I lie quickly, but Scorpius isn't fooled.

"What homework are you talking about? You're like a month ahead of everyone already. You've even finished our holiday work. What's really going on?" Sometimes I wish I didn't have such observant, attentive friends.

"Nothing, okay? I just didn't sleep very well last night."

"Are you having nightmares?" Kayleigh questions.

"No, I'm fine. Just leave it alone, okay? I'll see you guys later. I'm going to Herbology." I gather up my books and leave them both sitting at the Gryffindor table.

I walk into the Herbology classroom and take Scorpius and my usual seat in the front on the right hand side of the classroom. There's still about half an hour before class starts, so I put my head down to take a short nap; I know Scorpius will wake me up when he gets here.

_I'm standing in the middle of a graveyard, when all of a sudden two boys drop out of nowhere clutching a cup. "No, not this one again. I hate this one. Wake up, Rose, wake up!" __They're obviously confused about where they've ended up. I can't hear what they're saying, but I know what's going on. This is the memory where Cedric Diggory gets killed. __Uncle Harry and Cedric hear Peter Pettigrew coming, but Voldemort's order is given before they can realize who is in the graveyard with them. Chills run up and down my spine because I know what's going to happen next. __In a flash of green light, Cedric Diggory falls to the ground with a loud 'thump.' I've seen this happen more times than I can count, but I can't keep the scream from escaping from between my lips. _

"Rose, come on, wake up," I hear a distant voice calling to me. I open my eyes slowly to find myself encased in Scorpius's arms with my whole Herbology class staring at me. Uncle Nev looks stricken with worry.

"Rose, are you okay?" Uncle Nev asks.

"I'm fine," I say, moving to get up from my spot on the floor. I stumble slightly, and Scorpius grabs me quickly before I fall.

"Come on back to my office for a minute, Rose," Uncle Nev says, taking my arm. "Mr. Malfoy, watch the class for me, please." Scorpius nods and Uncle Nev takes me back into his office. I sit in a chair as he sits behind his desk.

"What's going on, Rosie? What just happened? And don't try to lie to me, you know I can tell when you lie." My eyes fall down so that I am staring at my shoes.

"I might, possibly be having nightmares," I tell him. He looks even more worried, if possible.

"About what, if you don't mind me asking?"

I sigh loudly and tell him about Uncle Harry's pensieve. He looks more upset than worried now. "Why haven't you told anyone about these dreams before?"

"When they went away, they weren't really a problem, but now they're coming back. I mean, there isn't much I can do about it."

"You may not know what to do about it, but we adults are a little smarter than you give us credit for. You think your dreams are bad, can you imagine what your Uncle Harry's must have been like?" He asks me.

"I never thought about that before," I tell Uncle Nev honestly.

"Well, on that note, I'm going to have Scorpius take you back to your dorm. I'm going to floo Harry and have him come by to see you later today. Just relax, and we'll have you feeling better in no time, all right?" I nod and Uncle Nev gives me a tight hug before escorting me out of his office.

I walk back out into the classroom, and I can feel everyone's eyes burning into the back of my head. Scorpius is waiting with both his books and my own outside of the classroom. As he guides me through the hallways, he doesn't say anything; I know he's angry with me for not informing him about the dreams. We walk the whole way to my common room in silence.

I barely hear him say the password as my portrait hole swings open to allow us inside. I walk inside and sit down on the couch, and he sits down beside me before burying his face in his hands.

"God, Rose, why didn't you tell us about the dreams? Do you have any idea how terrified I was when you started screaming and thrashing all over the place in the middle of the classroom? I thought you said that they were getting better!" Scorpius is obviously distressed by my problems with my dreams; I must really be frightening when I have them.

"I didn't want you and Kayleigh to worry," I tell him sincerely. He looks at me with fire in his eyes.

"It's our job to worry! We like worrying. When we worry, you get the help you need. You shouldn't be dealing with this on your own." His last comment pushes my independent feminist button.

"Maybe I want to deal with this on my own! Do you think that I like being haunted in my dreams? Do you think that I like having to be scared of going to sleep? I hate being weak, and I hate being vulnerable. I refuse to be the damsel in distress, and I won't apologize for keeping my personal life private!" I nearly shout at him.

"Kayleigh and I are your friends, and you're supposed to let your friends in and talk to them! We're supposed to help each other out."

"I guess I should listen to you because you're such an expert when it comes to friendship. You have so many friends, I can't even keep count of them! I don't even know where you find time for Kayleigh and me amidst your ocean of good friends," I say bitingly. Scorpius looks like I have just slapped him in the face, and I instantly regret what I have said.

"Go back to your bloody Quidditch buddies who are just breaking down your door to come and see if you're all right after your bad dream! Find your own compartment on the train and keep your sodding personal business to yourself; I don't care anymore," he shouts before storming out of my common room and slamming the portrait shut.

I collapse onto the couch and let the tears stream down my cheeks. I'm still trembling because of the combined shock from my dream and the row with Scorpius. I don't even know why I said what I did; I had a temporary lapse in judgment. I honestly cannot believe that I said that to him.

I hug a pillow to my chest, and curl up on the couch, allowing myself to fall into a fitful sleep.

_Scorpius, Kayleigh, and I are sitting in the common room, just chatting and hanging out. They are both wrapped up in one another, and I can't help smiling at them cuddled together on the couch. All of a sudden, they simultaneously get up and walk toward the portrait hole. __"Where are you going?" I ask them. They pause briefly and stare at me blankly. __"Away from you, of course," they respond as if it is the most obvious reason in the world. __"Wait, stop! I thought you were my friends?" I yell after them. __They turn around briefly. "We guess we should listen to you because you're such an expert on friendships," they say coldly before disappearing into the darkness. __"Come back!" I scream repeatedly, tears streaming down my cheeks. Something touches me lightly and calls my name, pulling me out of the darkness. _

I sit upright on the couch and try to calm myself down. I quickly wipe the tears from my cheeks before opening my eyes and looking around the common room. To my surprise, my Uncle Harry is sitting on the end of the couch looking at me with concern and worry etched across his face.

"Why haven't you told anyone about these dreams, Rose?" He asks.

"I didn't want anyone to worry about me. Besides, it's my fault that I'm having nightmares. I just wanted to deal with it by myself," I tell him, looking down at the floor.

He moves next to me on the couch and pulls me into his lap like he used to do when I was a little girl. I bury my face in his chest and let him hold me.

"It was an accident. If anyone is to blame, it's me for leaving my penseive where you all could reach it. You don't deserve to suffer through every night like this," he tells me in a soothing voice.

"I know. I just feel so helpless, and I hate it. I have always been independent, but now I can't even sleep through the entire night without Kayleigh or Scorpius there to keep me from hurting myself." Uncle Harry looks at me sadly, but doesn't comment about Scorpius.

"Well, I had nightmares for a long time following the war, so I know a thing or two about them. I'm going to help you put you memories behind you the same way I put mine behind me," he informs me. I mentally slap myself; why didn't I think of using a penseive before?

"A penseive," I realize, and Uncle Harry smiles at me.

"Exactly. I'm going to help you extrect the memory of the day that you got lost in my peseive, and hopefully that will stop all of the nightmares." I nod in agreement, but I can't help but think that some nightmares might still stick around; all of the secretive stuff going on is eating at my brain.

"I won't completely lose the memory, right?"

"No. Your memories will be in the penseive, but a ghost of them will remain in your mind. In other words, you will know what happened to you, but you won't really be able to remember any of the details."

"And you're sure that this will work?" I ask, although I'm pretty sure it will.

"I haven't had a nightmare involving the war in over 20 years. I think that's proof enough," he reassures me.

I let out a sigh of relief, and Uncle Harry proceeds to show me how to put my memory into the small bowl. It only takes about a minute, and I already feel a little different.

"It feels a little odd at first, but when the nightmares go away you'll be extremely thankful. If your dreams still continue, just tell Neville or owl me and we'll try to figure something else out, okay?"

"Okay," I reply. He wraps his arms around me in a tight hug and kisses me on the forehead.

"I'll see you at Christmas, Rose, take care of yourself," he says quite seriously before leaving me in my common room.

I check my watch and find that dinner has probably already started. I try to make myself look somewhat presentable before flying through thee hallways at top speed. I walk into the hall and everyone is seated at their respective tables, chatting and eating happily. Well, almost everyone.

Kayleigh looks somewhat miserable at the Hufflepuff table, sitting with her friends, and Scorpius is sitting pretty much on his own at the Slytherin table. I nervously make my way to the Gryffindor table and sit by Jason and Albus. Jason smiles at me brightly and kisses me on the forehead, while Albus looks at me in confusion. He smirks after about a second.

"So, I see that you finally told Malfoy to bugger off. He's even been shunned by the first years. It's bloody pathetic," he says, sneering the Scorpius's direction. Jason looks uncomfortable when I glare in Albus's direction.

"Mate, you better stop while you're ahead," Jason warns; he's a smart boyfriend.

"You should be happy! She's finally sitting with us instead of with that loser," he scoffs, and I get up from the table. I have to repress the urge to punch Albus in the face before leaving the hall; I can't help but notice that Albus stays firmly in his seat.

My anger is boiling at a dangerous level as I pace outside of the Great Hall. I thought Albus had gained back some decency, but I obviously was wrong. I just walk around the Entrance Hall, trying my best not to punch anything. Kayleigh is probably mad at me for fighting with Scorpius, so I won't try to do anything else to make her mad.

Suddenly, I feel something grasp my left arm gently. As a reflex, I swing my arm around to shove them away (but I think it is more like a punch). I turn around and feel even worse because I almost hit Jason. He looks stunned. My anger disappears immediately and I engulf him in a fierce hug.

"I'm so sorry! I was in my own world there for a second." He rubs my back soothingly for a moment before taking a step back to look at me.

"Albus was bang out of order just then; even the rest of the guys say so. I mean, we don't particularly like Malfoy, but we're civil because we know you're friends with him. He hasn't done anything to us anyway, so I have no clue what's got Al's knickers in a twist. I just wanted to let you know the other guys and I are on your side. We'll straighten little Albus out for you," Jason reassures me.

I press my lips firmly to his, causing his face to break out in a grin. "Go eat. I'm going to go cool off in my common room. I'll see you later," I tell him. He nods before kissing me quickly and heading back into the Great Hall. I sigh quietly to myself before walking to my dorm with a smile on my face.

I guess not all boys are complete idiots...

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**A/N: So, there's a little peek into Rose's head. I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to leave me a review :]**


	11. Suspicions

Chapter 11: Suspicions (Rose POV)

My compartment on the train feels strangely empty, even though I am surrounded by people on all sides. My boisterous friends are joking and playing exploding snap while Jason sits by my side holding my hand. I'm in a sort of fog. I can see the happy smiling faces around me, but I don't join in with their happiness.

Why is my life so up and down this year?

Oh, I know why. I'm a bloody idiot.

Scorpius is not talking to me because I poked his biggest insecurity with a reducto hex. Kayleigh is split in the middle, but I know she's mad at me and not Scorpius. She came up to me the other day in the hallway and told me to "apologize for being an insensitive git like Albus."

So, I'm in a noisy compartment with my other friends instead of my best friend. At home, I'm going to be miserable and then mum is going to bug me about being miserable because Hermione Weasley never misses anything. Dad is going to make me play Quidditch with him every five minutes and Hugo is going to hole himself in his room with his books like he always does.

"Rose, hey, we're at King's Cross," Jason tells me, breaking me out of my reverie. I smile at him appreciatively.

"Thanks. I was kind of in my own world there," I say. He looks a little concerned.

"I'll see you when we get back, all right? Owl me if you need anything." I nod and he kisses me quickly before heading off the train to meet his family.

I get my things and drag them outside slowly. I can see my mum and dad greeting Hugo, and I look around to find Scorpius before heading over to them. Scorpius's mum greets him warmly, but his dad isn't there. I bet I would know why if I hadn't been so mean. I sigh to myself before heading over to my parents.

"Rose, sweetheart, we missed you so much!" my mum says before engulfing me in her petite arms. As soon as she lets me go my dad scoops me up and crushes me to his chest.

"Hey, hey, careful. You're going to break me, dad," I tell him jokingly as he sets me back on the ground. A small smile involuntarily makes its way onto my face. So, my parents are annoying, but I have to admit that I missed them while I was at school.

The car ride home is filled with Hugo and my stories of what we have been doing at school. I tell them all about Quidditch and being Head Girl, and Hugo talks about all of the classes that he's taking. The conversation stops abruptly when I mention Scorpius's name.

"Are you kidding me? Malfoy's spawn made Head Boy? What is McGonagall playing at?" My dad asks angrily. I want to defend Scorpius, as his best friend, but I hold my tongue.

"Chill out dad, he's perfectly fine. He does everything he's supposed to and he doesn't bother me at all. He keeps to himself mostly," I inform them. Hugo looks at me questioningly, and I beg him not to say anything with my eyes. He shrugs and goes back to staring out of the window.

"If you say so. If he ever does anything to you, make sure you tell the Headmistress," dad advises me. My mum doesn't say anything, but I see her head shaking from side to side at my dad's antics.

The rest of the ride home is silent, and I take the time to observe my parents. I notice that both of them seem to look a bit more tired than they usually do, and my dad has this permanent crease in his forehead that I don't remember ever being there before. These observations just confirm my suspicion that there is more going on at home than what I'm reading in the owls I receive at school.

As soon as we get home, I head up the stairs and collapse on my bed. I can see that mum and dad put the Christmas tree up with no decorations, so I can count on doing that sometime soon. There are no owls waiting for me in my room, surprisingly, so I let my eyes close and try to let myself fall asleep. Of course, that's impossible because of stupid Scorpius. I still feel bad about what I said to him. Why didn't I fix this at school? I groan before getting up off of my bed to head downstairs to find the family owl.

Mum and dad are in the kitchen cooking dinner together, like always. Well, mum is cooking while dad steals bites of everything. I venture into the living room and find pig sitting at the window. I pat him on the head affectionately and then I sit down to write my letter.

_Scorpius, __I'm so sorry that I was such an insensitive git. Please forgive me? See, I'm all pathetic sounding and apologetic. That must mean I miss you and your reclusive self. Owl me back or try the floo at my house, got it, Malfoy? __Your tactless best friend, __Rose _

I know it sounds a little random and sketchy, but Scorpius should get the point. He knows that I'm not very good at apologies and all that jazz. I'm rarely serious about anything, so the fact that I'm even sending him a letter with the words 'I'm sorry' in it should be enough to convince him of how truly bad I feel.

I tie the letter to Pig's leg and then send him on his way.

After I finish my letter, I walk over towards the kitchen to see if dinner is ready yet. Most of the time mum cooks the muggle way, but I think that she might use a bit of magic to get it done faster; Hugo mentioned that he was hungry when we were in the car. I don't know why he didn't eat anything on the train. He was probably too busy reading some book.

When I enter the hallway leading to the kitchen, I hear my parents talking in somewhat hushed tones. I stop and listen.

"Harry and Kingsley have some new leads on the incident in October," my dad says to my mum.

"Who do they think set it all up?" she asks.

"They've exhausted almost every other possibility, and they think that it's probably the werewolves." My mum gasps and I slap my hand over my mouth as well.

"I guess that makes sense... But why now? Why did they wait so long?"

"Bill thinks that it's because it has taken them a long time to get organized enough to even make a decent attempt on his life. And it seems to everyone that they are pretty bloody organized, now. We think that they're trying to find another person who isn't a werewolf that can help them, and that's why they haven't tried anything more recently. They can't do it alone, and they need someone outside of themselves to do the dealings with the wizarding community. I'm just worried about who they choose," my dad says before the silence settles in.

Suddenly, I hear Hugo's door slam and my parents stop talking about anything remotely interesting. I sigh and walk into the kitchen, knowing that the time to pick up any more information has passed.

I make my way into the kitchen, only to find my parents being overly mushy and gross.

"Cut it out. I'm going to throw up my dinner before I've even eaten it," I say out loud. My dad pries himself off of mum before his ears turn bright red, making me laugh. I'm glad they chose to cover up their conversation this way; it's easier to hide apprehensiveness with laughter.

"What did you cook? I'm hungry." I walk over to the stove and peer into the pots.

"You and your dad, I swear, you must have black holes for stomachs," my mom jokes before guiding me to the table and setting me into a chair.

Dinner is done almost as soon as Hugo makes it downstairs. We chat aimlessly for most of dinner because most of us seem to be pretty worn out. Every so often my dad will try to get in a question about Scorpius, but my mum quickly diverts the conversation to a less antagonistic topic. My parents don't say anything about what I heard them talking about before dinner, which makes me think that the situation is more serious than I thought. They tell me pretty much everything.

Toward the end of dinner and owl flies through the kitchen window; it's not the one that I was expecting. I jump up from the table and take the letter from Jason's owl before either of my parents get up to read it.

"Who's the owl from, Rose?" My dad asks.

"It's from Jason, you know, the Quidditch co-captain. It must be a training schedule or something," I lie quickly because I know my dad will flip out if he knew I had a boyfriend.

"Maybe he wants you to _work out_ with him and his _broomstick _over the holidays," Hugo says with a chuckle. I nearly choke on the air at his innuendo. What book did he learn that from? I didn't even know that my little prudish brother could make such jokes!

"The sounds like a good idea. You should invite him over sometime," my dad says. My face turns bright red and I glare at my stupid brother. Dad may be too thick to pick up on the hints, but mum sure isn't and she has to stop herself from laughing. She knows what my dad just agreed to, even if he doesn't.

"Okay, enough Quidditch talk. Boys, get out of my kitchen. Rose and I will clean up," my mum says before forcing my dad and brother out of the kitchen. The dishes are clean with a flick of her wrist and a quick spell. I don't even have to move from the table; she comes over and sits next to me with a grin on her face.

"Jason, huh?" My mum only has to say two words to let me know that she knows.

"Yeah. It was really unexpected," I tell her without beating around the bush. "We were taking equipment down to the shed one day, and then BAM! We just sort of admitted to liking each other," I tell her sheepishly. She must notice the weird, shy thing I have going on when it comes to Jason because she grins at me.

"When did you figure out that you liked him?" she asks eagerly.

"It just sort of hit me one day, you know? I was pissed off at him because he started scheduling practices without me earlier this year. One day, I went to go shout at him for making decisions without me. The thing is, he didn't let me walk all over him like most people do. He yelled right back. It was kind of hot," I say wistfully. My mum chuckles and shakes her head.

"Whatever makes you happy, sweetheart, just make sure to tell your father before you get married, all right?" I turn bright red and leave the kitchen without letting my mum get another word in.

The next day of break passes without much incident. I owl back Jason, wait around for an owl from Scorpius, do some homework, and even read a book. That night at dinner, Pig returns without another letter; I have the urge to punch Scorpius in the face for being an unforgiving git. Then I remember that being impulsive is what got me here, so I decide not to floo to his house and smash his face in.

On the third day of holidays, three days before Christmas, I find out how stupid my best friend really is because his bloody owl shows up in the middle of dinner. A pattern is forming that I don't really like.

"Who's this one from?" My dad asks again, being nosy as usual.

"It's from Scorpius, um, Head stuff," I say, deciding that honestly is the best policy.

"What is he bugging you about over Christmas holidays? Surely there isn't anything you guys have to worry about while you're on break," my dad says suspiciously.

"It's nothing that you need to worry about, okay?" I say playing with my food. Before my dad can ask any more questions, someone calls from the fireplace.

"Rose Weasley! Come to the fireplace now, please!" I hear Kayleigh call from our living room.

"Bloody hell! You sure are popular," Hugo quips. My mum gives him a menacing look.

"Watch your language Hugo Weasley!" I don't stay behind to watch mum scold Hugo, even though I know it will be amusing to watch.

I enter the living room to find Kayleigh's head in the fireplace, with a bright smile on her face.

"Thank Merlin you two made up! I was beginning to worry, you know. I knew you were stubborn, but Scorpius and I both had a feeling that you would come around soon. And you did! Gah. I was so sick of being mad at you. I wasn't really that mad at you, to let you know. Scorpius is kind of a loner," Kay rattles off. It's moments like this that remind me that she is still fifteen years old.

"I just now got his letter. It came at dinner, of all times. Dad is being nosy. You just pulled me from the lion's den, actually," I tell her. Her floating head grins.

"Glad I could be of service. Now, open the letter!"

I unfold Scorpius's letter cautiously and read what he has to say:

_Rose, __You are forgiven. I honestly was having trouble staying mad at you, but I knew you would get over it eventually. I shouldn't have taken what you said to heart; I know you let your temper run away with you when you're mad. Anyways, there are no hard feelings here. I actually kind of miss your annoying self bugging me all of the time. Feel free to floo me whenever. My parents don't really care who uses it, seeing as I never had any friends who needed to reach me before. The address is "Malfoy Manor, Scorpius's chambers." It's connected right to my room.__Floo me if you need anything. And talk to Kay if she hasn't already ambushed you. __Your best mate, __Scorpius_

After I read the letter to Kayleigh, quietly of course, she let out a huge sigh.

"Thank goodness that fiasco is over. I have to head to dinner, but I'll make sure to keep in touch. Love you Rose!"

"Love you, too, Kay," I say before her head disappears from the flames.

Dinner is pretty much over by the time I get back to the dining room, but I shovel down some pudding at super speed so that no one has time to ask me any questions. My mum and dad look at me suspiciously before I go to my room; they probably think something strange is going on with me. I don't really feel guilty about keeping Scorpius a secret, considering they know a potentially life-threatening secret and they don't feel the need to tell me anything about it. I'll tell them mine when they tell me theirs.

Content that everything in my little circle of friends is well again, I fall into a good night's sleep, no nightmares anywhere in sight.

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**A/N: Yay! Everyone is friends again. Rose has one more chapter to speak before Kayleigh is up! I haven't been getting any reviews... please let me know what you think if you are reading! I would really appreciate it. **


	12. Sleepover

Chapter 12: Sleepover (Rose POV)

I take a quick glance around the living room and listen closely to make sure no one else is awake; they shouldn't be because it's nearly two in the morning. After a few minutes of listening to my dad's loud snores coming from above me, I decide that the coast is clear. I take a handful of floo powder from the mantle and whisper, "Malfoy Manor, Scorpius's chambers," before slowly slipping my head into the green flames.

I look around his room a little bit and notice how ridiculously huge it is. His bed is a little to my left, and I can see that he is still asleep. "Scorpius!" I hiss quietly. "Wake up, you wanker!" He stirs a little before turning around and locking his grey eyes with mine. He groans.

"Why do you insist on flooing me so much? I thought your nightmares had stopped. There are these little feathered things called owls that can be used to communicate quite efficiently. Kay doesn't even floo me this much, and she is my bloody girlfriend," he tells me rubbing his temples. Ever since he gave me his floo address, I have been bugging him pretty much every time my parents are gone. I know he's sick of me, but I don't really care.

After the first night after we made up, I haven't been able to sleep. I know I can't sleep because I haven't told Scorpius and Kay about the werewolves yet. I couldn't take it anymore, so I decided to floo Scorpius to give him the whole story.

"I'm sorry, but I can't sleep a wink in this house! My nightmares are better, but the tension between everyone in my house is driving me crazy. And I kind of have something important to tell you and it's driving me up the wall!" I tell him, hoping he understands. He looks at me unsteadily for a second, and then surprises me.

"Come all the way through. I don't like talking to just your head, and I know crouching on the ground is probably getting uncomfortable."

I smile before stepping into the fireplace and saying, "Malfoy Manor, Scorpius's chambers," once again. I land gracefully in his room and immediately walk over and crash onto his bed shamelessly. He comes over and lies next to me.

"Okay crazy girl. Tell me what the problem is," he tells me. I put my hands behind my head and sigh loudly.

"I'm not crazy, and we kind of might have a big problem," I tell him worriedly. I normally never worry, but after the way my parents have been acting over the past few days, I really am worried.

"I think it's a bigger deal than we thought as well. To be completely honest, my parents have been secretive and harried, too. I'm starting to wonder if they have anything to do with what we've been hearing about. I just wish they would tell us what's going on," he tells me. I get up and head over to the fireplace.

"I think I know what's going on, but Kayleigh needs to be here to hear this," Scorpius looks at me. He is obviously confused about how I am planning on getting her to his house from Hogwarts. "If I go back home, I can floo into Hogwarts. There are very few people who have the privilege of that particular floo connection after the war. I am going to get Kay. I'll be right back." Scorpius nods and I go over to his fireplace and take a handful of floo powder. "The Weasleys, Number Six."

I land quite gracefully, again, in my home, but I waste no time grabbing the floo powder and flooing to the Hufflepuff Common Room. It is silent in the warm common room adorned with warm yellow sofas. I make my way, silently, of course, towards the girl's staircase to fetch Kayleigh from her room. When I find the fifth year's dorm, I walk inside while trying to make as little noise as possible. Kayleigh is curled up on her bed, her long blonde hair covering her pillow and spread out all over the place. I walk over to the side of her bed to wake her.

"Kayleigh, wake up!" I say shaking her shoulder. Her brown eyes open slowly.

"Whasgoin on?" She mumbles incoherently. I grab her arm and lift her upright.

"Come on. Scorpius is waiting. We have some very important discussing to do." Rubbing her eyes, she puts on her slippers and follows me groggily to the fireplace down in the common room. I tell her that we are flooing back to my house first, and then to Scorpius's house. She nods, letting me know she understands, even in her sleep deprived state. We reach the Malfoy Mansion in no time, and Kay collapses on the bed next to Scorpius as soon as we land in his room.

He plants a kiss on her lips, and I inwardly gag. They were cute when they started going out nearly 2 months ago, but now I am seriously getting sick of all of their PDA. I know I'm being hypocritical because Jason and I are just as bad, but they could tone it down a bit. I run over and jump on the bed next to them. "All right love birds. Let's get down to business. Disentangle yourselves so that I can give you my very important information." The three of us line up on Scorpius's bed side by side.

"So it's not just my parents being all jumpy and paranoid?" She asks. I notice she has Scorpius's hand in a death grip. I don't think they can go five seconds without touching.

"No. Scorpius said that his parents are acting differently as well," I tell her. She looks a little confused..

"This is really weird. I know our parents are worried about Uncle Harry and all, but why would Scorpius's parents be mysterious and worried as well? That whole mess in Hogsmeade is just making everything all the more confusing," Kayleigh says. They both look confused and worried about what's going on. Before I can say anything, Scorpius speaks again.

"I have no clue what is going on with my parents, so don't even ask. All I know is that my mum acts like my dad is going to disappear into thin air and my dad is hardly home long enough for her to even have time to fuss over him. I'm still trying to figure out who was talking in that alley, but I can't come up with anything. My parents haven't let anything slip that may help us figure it out," Scorpius tells Kay and me. I sigh loudly, causing them both to look at me.

"I think I have an idea of what's going on. I heard my parents talking about it a few days ago. Apparently, the werewolves are trying to organize themselves in order to kill Uncle Harry. My dad said that the only problem they're having is finding a wizard who will be their front man to deal with normal wizards in ways that they can't," I reveal. They are both silent for a moment.

"Bloody hell. That pretty much clear up almost everything," Scorpius says.

"I guess so, but why? Why would they try to kill Harry Potter?" Kayleigh asks.

"Do you even have to ask? I can give you a whole list. To name a few, he's Harry Potter and he killed Voldemort. Voldemort was their last hope of having a semi-normal place in society. Think about it. If Voldemort would have won, he would have been able to give the werewolves freedom that they had never had before. They are probably extremely resentful of Harry, and can't wait to get back at him for ruining their chances at a normal life," I tell them both. They stare at me for what feels like forever, obviously in shock. Scorpius takes a deep breath.

"Do you think that they might be using my dad to do all of their dirty work for him? That's the only reason I can come up with for my parents to be so out of sorts. And remember Mr. M from the alleyway? Maybe they were thinking about getting Mr. Malfoy to help them out. I can't believe it though. My dad always said that Malfoys were done with the Dark Arts. Why would he help them?" Scorpius asks, horrified at the possibility of his father working against Kay and my family. I don't really believe that Draco Malfoy is helping of his own free will, if he is even helping the werewolves.

"The most likely thing is that they are blackmailing your dad into helping them. I don't really see anyone helping them of their own free will. I mean, if they threatened you or your mum, your dad would probably do whatever they want him to," I reassure Scorpius before letting a yawn escape me.

"I really hope you're right," he whispers sadly before turning to me. "Rose, you can rest your eyes for a bit if you want. I want to talk to Kay for a little while, if you don't mind. We'll wake you so that you can get home before your parents wake up," Scorpius suggests, and I really can't decline his offer. I'm more tired than I thought. This tumultuous mess has taken a lot out of me. I turn my back to the couple on my left and curl up on the right side of the bed. My eyes close, and I try not to fall into a deep sleep. I can't hang on to consciousness for very long, and, before I know it, I am fast asleep.

The sun hits my face, causing me to groan. It is way too early to wake up. Wait a minute. The sun doesn't hit my face when I wake up at home. Where the hell am I? My eyes shoot open and I search my surroundings frantically.

"Oh, crap!" I hiss as I see Kayleigh and Scorpius curled up on the other side of the bed. "Stupid bloody love birds!" I mumble. If I didn't already know my parents are going to send out a search party for me, I would smile at how cute Kay and Scorpius look encased in each other's arms. Her back is against his front, and his arms are firmly wrapped around her waist. His face is buried in her blonde locks. From the position of the sun in the sky, it has to be about ten. Maybe it's closer to eleven, but I'm not positive.

"Wake up you idiots! Wake up, wake up, WAKE UP!" I hear them simultaneously groan and Scorpius just holds Kay tighter while burying his face deeper into her neck. I see Kay open her eyes wide. She smiles and blushes. Then her eyes nearly pop out of her head when she realizes where she is.

"Oh my God!" She screams nearly falling off of Scorpius's bed. "We are so dead! Our parents are going to have a heart attack!"

"If you two don't stop screaming my parents will find out, so calm down. If my dad comes up here, I can guarantee bad things are going to happen." Scorpius tells us sitting upright in his bed. "Okay. Is there any way either of your parents haven't noticed you are gone?"

"No," Kayleigh replies sadly. "I always go to breakfast with dad in the castle."

"There's not a chance in hell for me either. My mum wakes me up at nine every morning when I'm at home." We all are sitting in quiet contemplation, trying to figure out how the heck we are going to get ourselves out of this mess.

"Scorpius, are you awake honey?" A voice calls from his door.

"That's my mom. Um, quick, under the bed." Kayleigh and I shoot him incredulous looks. "What, can you think of a better plan?" We crawl under the bed as Scorpius goes to open his door. We can't see anything from under the bed, but we hear Scorpius's mother enter the room.

"Are you all right, Scorpius? First you didn't come down for breakfast, and then I heard some odd noises coming from up here."

"I'm fine mum, don't worry." He is such a bad liar. I roll my eyes and pray that his mum is a very gullible woman.

"Sweetheart, you have never been a good liar because you have never had anything to lie about. You have always been such a good boy. What is going on?" Crap. Damn you Scorpius for being such an open book.

"Nothing, mum. I'm not lying, really."

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, do not toy with me. I can see it in your eyes. You are keeping something from me." Kay and I are trying our hardest to stifle our laughs at the revelation of Scorpius's middle name. _Hyperion_? Kayleigh mouths to me, smiling brightly. "Why are you blushing?" I snort in laughter when I hear that Scorpius is blushing. Kay slaps her hand over my mouth and nose, pointing out from under the bed. Oh, crap. We hear footsteps coming toward the bed, and before we have time to be afraid, someone lifts up the blankets covering our hiding spot.

"Okay, ladies, come on out." Kayleigh uncovers my lips and I have to wipe the smile off of my face. After we climb out from underneath the bed, Kayleigh and I sit side by side, Scorpius looking at us apologetically.

"So, are one or both of you my son's girlfriend?" I have to resist the urge to laugh. This woman did not beat around the bush, and she clearly didn't know her son if she had to ask that question. Scorpius hasn't even had a girlfriend before Kayleigh. I don't even know if he knew what a girl was before this year.

"Seriously, Mrs. Malfoy, do you think Scorpius is the type to have one girlfriend, let alone two?"

"Rose!" Scorpius yelled turning the brightest shade of red I have ever seen him. Kayleigh matches him perfectly, and you can see her blush even with her face in her hands.

"What? You were never the dating type, at least not until this year. I know your parents know you have never had a girlfriend until now." Scorpius and Kayleigh both look like they would rather be anywhere than here. Mrs. Malfoy actually looks quite ecstatic.

"You have a girlfriend? Why didn't you tell me! Honey, that's wonderful!" She hugs Scorpius, and I have a feeling that this new, buttered up version of Mrs. Malfoy will be easier to deal with. "Who is she? What does she look like? I've been waiting years for this, don't deny me any details."

Scorpius locks eyes with Kay, and he reached his hand out to her. Moving her eyes to the floor, she stands up hand-in-hand with Scorpius. Mrs. Malfoy squeals in realization and seizes Kayleigh in a hug. "You glorious woman! Oh, Scorpius, she is beautiful." Kayleigh smiles shyly and leans into Scorpius as Mrs. Malfoy releases her. "What is your name, child?"

"Kayleigh Longbottom," she replies warily, and I hope that Mrs. Malfoy doesn't flip out. She looks a bit uncomfortable for a moment, but then smiles slightly.

"It is nice to meet you, Kayleigh. And you as well Miss…?" she leaves me to fill in the blank. I didn't get the red Weasley hair, so she can't tell who I am from just looking at me.

"Weasley. Rose Weasley." Mrs. Malfoy looks at Scorpius curiously, and she even looks a little worried. She gives him a silent look that clearly says '_we will talk about this later_.' After only a few seconds, she turns and smiles at both Kay and me.

"It was nice to meet you both girls, and I hope to meet you again under quite not so odd circumstances. I think we had better get you home before your parents send the aurors after you. They must be worried. Scorpius, you and I will talk about what we are going to do about your father later, but, for now, we will say goodbye to these fine young women." She gave us each a hug and led us over to the fireplace. Scorpius placed a short kiss on Kayleigh's lips, and I think Mrs. Malfoy almost began to cry tears of joy. She must have thought he was gay or something because he didn't have any girlfriends before Kayleigh. He gave me a short hug.

"I'll see you both when we get back to school in about a week." I can tell that Scorpius is not happy about the separation from Kay and me.

"Nonsense! The girls are welcome whenever. Well, whenever your father is scarce, or until we talk to him. Just make sure your parents know, and please, no more sleepovers. I nearly had a heart attack when I found the two of you under that bed." The three of us smile and nod.

Kayleigh and I step into the fireplace, deciding to floo together. The two Malfoys wave before we say "The Weasleys, Number Six," and disappear into the flames.

When we appear in my living room, there are at least a dozen official looking people running around my house. Oh, boy. We are in deep trouble. Kay and I exchange a quick glance before we announce our presence that seems to have gone unnoticed. I turn to Kay with a slight grin on my face.

"It was nice knowing you, Kay." I hold out my hand to her while she blushes furiously in embarrassment.

"Likewise, Rosie." We keep our hands clasped as we walk to the kitchen. Many of the people stop bustling around and simply stare at us in awe. As we walk into the kitchen, everything becomes silent.

"Where have you been!?" My mum screams and runs over to Kay and me. Aunt Hannah looks close to tears and she buries her face in Uncle Nev's chest. My Dad looks relieved as he collapses into a chair at the table. I observe all of this while my mum continues to hold Kayleigh and me in a death grip. She is shaking with sobs as she holds both of us close. "Are you both okay?" she looks us over.

"Mum, we're fine. See?" I twirl around in my pajamas, motioning for Kayleigh to do the same. She turns in her dressing gown and smiles at my mum kindly.

"We have been worried sick! You weren't in your bed when I came to wake you up, and Neville came over this morning wondering if Kayleigh was over here. We had no idea what happened to either of you, and there were no notes or anything! We didn't know if you were kidnapped or dead, or… or…" My mum breaks down into tears and my dad comes and envelopes her in a hug. I feel the tears threatening to fall from my eyes as Kay and I share a guilty glance.

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**A/N: This is definitely my favorite chapter so far. I've had this chapter written pretty much since the beginning of the story. I hope you enjoyed it! I am so sorry I didn't post yesterday (like I was supposed to). I was on a mini vacation and I didn't get home until late at night. Please review :]**


	13. Questions

Chapter 13: Questions (Kayleigh's POV)

I feel like I'm on one of those old muggle television shows that Aunt Hermione used to make us watch when we were little. Rose and I are on one side of the table while our parents are seated on the other side. If there was a bright light shining on Rose and me the entire scene from the muggle television show would be complete.

Our parents pretty much flipped out when we got home this morning. They thought the worst had occurred or whatever. I don't think they would have been as worried if the whole werewolf mess wasn't happening right now, but it is; even though they don't know we know that it is.

A staring competition has been going on for the past few minutes. Rose and I both know that our parents want to know where we were last night, but we haven't had time to come up with a legitimate story yet. They yelled and scolded us as soon as we arrived and then they sat us down at the table. Now, I think they're just trying to come up with the right questions to get us to spill our guts.

"Okay, girls, why don't you just tell us where you were last night without a big fuss," my mum suggests. I glance over at Rose; she doesn't want to tell them, but she doesn't have a good story either.

"You know we can trace the floo connection, but we really don't want to do that. We would rather hear it from you," Uncle Ron says. Darn. I forgot about that little detail. They will find out where we were either way.

"We were, um, at a friend's house," Rose reveals, throwing something out there to satisfy their curiosity for five seconds. Dad's face flashes in realization. He is the only one that would have any idea about our friendship with Scorpius because he's the only one that always sees us together at school.

"Please tell me you didn't go where I think you went," my dad asks exasperatedly, rubbing his face with his hand.

"Where?" The other three adults in the room ask simultaneously. I hear Rose's head hit the table with a loud 'thunk.' She knows my dad knows. Suddenly, her head shoots up off of the table. She must have an idea.

"We aren't telling you where we were until you tell us what's been going on around here!" She exclaims unexpectedly. Our parents look shocked at her exclamation.

"What are you talking about? There's nothing going on," Aunt Hermione tries to reassure us. Well, she asked for it.

"That is absolute crap! We have a right to know what is going on with Uncle Harry and the bloody werewolves! We aren't little kids anymore. Especially me! I'm of age for Merlin's sake!" she says angrily, shocking all of the parents.

They all look at one another in astonishment. I guess they don't know what to say, but I don't really think they should be surprised. They always knew things that they weren't supposed to back when they were at Hogwarts. I would know because I've heard the stories a million times. No one says anything for an immeasurable amount of time.

"How did you find out?" my mum asks almost inaudibly. I look to Rose because Scorpius and she found out about it first.

"Well, it all started at the beginning of the year. Scorpius and I were in detention and-"

"Detention?" Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron ask at the same time. "With Scorpius?" Uncle Ron adds.

"I had just gotten out of the hospital wing." They all look at her with concern on her face.

"She hit another wall and messed up her hand," I interject. No one is surprised, and Rose continues.

"We were late to class, that's all. Professor Warren is a git so he gave us detention." Aunt Hermione gasps slightly but doesn't comment about her daughter's jab at her teacher. "We were in the dungeons and we overheard some, uh, talking." My dad plants his head in his hands.

"You heard that?" he asks sadly. Rose nods her head. "That still doesn't explain how you know the rest of it, though. We didn't even know about the werewolves until recently."

"I have a little bit to tell, actually," I say, causing them all to look at me in astonishment. I feel the heat rush to my cheeks both in embarrassment and apprehension; I'm still a little weird about talking about Scorpius around my parents. They all are silent so I can go on.

"Well, Scorpius and I were outside of mum's shop near that alley way on the Hogsmeade trip before Halloween," I start, but Uncle Ron opens his mouth to comment but my mum shushes him. My dad looks at me curiously, but I continue. "We overheard these two men talking about some plan and how they needed help from someone else."

"Did they mention any name?" Uncle Ron asks, forgetting about me mentioning Scorpius earlier.

Rose and I exchange a nervous glance. They could either help Mr. Malfoy, or give him hell. If we tell them about this, we will probably have to tell them about where we were last night. If we tell them our theory, they might be able to help Scorpius's dad, even if we do get in trouble. I think Rose is thinking the same thing as me because she nods at me to continue. I'm trying to fight back the tears burning my eyes so I can speak, but Aunt Hermione talks before I open my mouth.

"You heard us in the kitchen the other night, didn't you, Rose?" Rose nods and Uncle Ron sighs heavily.

"We also think we know who they are trying to coerce into helping them. If we tell you, you have to promise to hear us out and not overreact. You have to listen to us and let us explain. You can't be rash and do something stupid, okay? We might be saying something that makes no sense to you or that you don't understand, but you have to listen to us!" Rose pleads as my worry for Scorpius bubbles up and spills over. I feel the tears run down my cheeks; I am powerless to stop them.

I put my head down on the table as the sobs build up and rack my body. My mum looks horrified as Rose buries her hand in my hair and rubs my scalp soothingly, trying to keep me calm. Rose takes this as my sign to her that she has to speak for us both.

"We think they're blackmailing Draco Malfoy, threatening his family. We went to talk to Scorpius last night and tell him about the werewolves. He told us about how his parents have been out of sorts lately and that he's worried about them. In the alley way, one of the men mentioned a Mr. M. It seems like the most logical answer is Scorpius's dad," Rose tells them matter-of-factly. I don't look up as the momentary silence envelops the room. The tears keep coming, and I don't move my head from the table.

If I have to guess, Uncle Ron is fuming about the fact that we associate with a Malfoy. My dad is probably trying to process the fact that I spent the night at my boyfriend's house. My mum is most likely extremely worried, and Aunt Hermione is trying to piece the puzzle pieces together in her head.

"We didn't plan any of this. It probably would never have happened if you would have been honest with us about this situation from the beginning," Rose points out angrily. I lift my head up from the table to speak.

"And are you guys honestly going to punish us for doing exactly the same things you did when you were our age? That would be a little hypocritical, no?" I say scathingly.

They exchange glances for the millionth time; they know we are right. All we have to hope is that they trust us enough to do something about that. I silently watch the inner turmoil of every person in the room. Rose looks somewhat smug because she backed them into a corner. I honestly have no idea what to think.

"You girls are okay, though, right?" My mom asks, carefully looking us over.

"Of course we're fine! Why wouldn't we be fine? Except for the fact that you have all been lying to us for the past few months, everything is just peachy!" Rose blurts out bluntly.

"I don't think that's what she was talking about, Rose," I tell her quietly. She looks absolutely livid.

"Oh, come on! We were just with Scorpius. My best friend, Rose's boyfriend, this isn't anything new to you Aunt Hannah! He's not dangerous, and neither is his family. They need our help and you are sitting here like they are Satan's helpers! His mum is one of the nicest people I've ever met, and while I haven't met his dad yet, I don't think his grudge has lasted as long as all of yours!" She is breathing heavily after her outburst.

"Please, just trust us. I know that the Malfoys aren't exactly your favorite people, but Scorpius is one of Rose and my best friends. I mean, if we help get Mr. Malfoy away from this mess, it will ultimately help Uncle Harry, right? So even if you won't help them because he's a Malfoy, help him because of Uncle Harry. Help him because his son is our friend," I plead with them.

There is silence for only a moment, but it makes me extremely nervous nonetheless.

"Well, I guess we can't say no after those impassioned speeches, now can we?" Aunt Hermione says with a small grin on her face. The other adults turn to her in shock. "Oh, pull your jaws up off of the floor. I, for one, am proud of you girls. You overcame a prejudice that we have been foolishly holding onto for years. I think Harry will be proud of you. I also think it's about time we called an official meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, eh?"

We run around to the other side of the table and engulf Hermione in a huge hug. She chuckles and embraces us in return. Mum, dad, and Ron are still contemplating the situation in silence. We're all sitting and waiting for someone to say something when Uncle Harry's head pops through the door. He sees the looks on everyone's faces and decides to step inside of the room.

"Everyone okay? Problem solved?" He asks apprehensively. My dad sighs loudly, but Hermione speaks up.

"The girls and I think an Order meeting is going to be needed; these three are just taking a little bit longer to process information the girls have than I did," Hermione says. Harry nods without asking any questions. He knows that if Hermione thinks it's important, it's important.

"I'll go make all of the necessary floo calls, and hopefully I can have everyone else here in less than an hour," he tells us before going to contact the other Order members.

"Hermione, Ron, Rose, would you mind if we had a moment alone with Kayleigh before the meeting?" My dad says right after Harry leaves. Hermione and Ron turn to leave, Rose following right behind them. Rose squeezes my hand reassuringly before the door closes behind them.

My parents turn to me with what seem like disappointed looks on their faces. I lower my eyes to the ground and wait for the lecture that I know is on its way.

"Kayleigh, your mother and I just want to say that while we're proud of you for sticking up for Scorpius and his family, we are very disappointed in some of the decisions that you've made over the past few days. We know you had good intentions- and you were somewhat dragged out of your room by Rose in the middle of the night- but we wish you would have come to us instead of sneaking around behind our backs," my dad says seriously.

"Even though Rose was with you, it was still inappropriate for you to go over to your boyfriend's house in the middle of the night; especially sleeping over," my mum adds. I nod in acknowledgement, not able to form any words to reply.

"You know what you did was wrong, and there will be consequences for your actions," dad says.

"First, you will be coming home instead of staying in the castle for Christmas." I knew that one was coming, but I am still sad; I love being at Hogwarts during Christmas, and that's why dad and I stick around. "Second, you won't be able to go anywhere without your dad, myself, or another adult, and you are not allowed to have visitors at the house either."

"What? Mum, you can't be serious?"

"We're completely serious. You can still send letters and we'll let you floo whomever you would like, within reason, but that's it. No Rose, no Scorpius at the house. We'll come here for Christmas dinner like we always do, but most of your holidays will be spent at home doing your schoolwork and whatever else is at the house to occupy your time. A side trip every now and then might come up, but don't expect much," my mum informs me with a frown on her face. I sigh in resignation.

"Okay, that sound fair," I concede without an argument, although I'm somewhat furious inside. My dad sits down next to me and pulls me gently to his side and my mum grabs one of my hands.

"We know your heart is in the right place, and we love you for it, but some of the things you did were inappropriate. We know you know that as well. We only punish you because we love you," my mum says with a smile on her face.

I can't help but laugh at her cliché reason for my punishment. It's always been funny for my parents and me whenever Ron and Hermione used to say stuff like that to Rose after she has done something bad. My dad laughs as well because we all think it's funny that I'm the one who's done something wrong this time. Believe it or not, I am supposed to be the good one.

My mum pushes my blonde hair from my face and kisses me on the forehead before looking me straight in the eye. "So, we all know what you did yesterday was wrong, but your dad and I just want you to know that we aren't going to try and break you and Scorpius up or anything because of this, okay? We know he means a lot o you and we can tell how concerned you are for his family, so we will do everything we can to help the Malfoys, all right?"

I feel my eyes burn with happy tears of relief as I throw my arms around my parents. I feel them both hugging me as the tears stream down my face, and I can't help but think that I have the best parents on the face of the planet.

"I love you both," I say, even though I'm a little choked up.

"We love you, too, sweetheart," they reply. I honestly think that everything might actually turn out just fine.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for being absent for so long. I just started a full time job, so I am gone for almost 12 hours a day including traveling time. I will update when I can, but I'm also finishing up my summer work as of right now. The same goes for my other story, A Whisper in the Night. Thanks so much for sticking with me :]**


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